


Nuzlocke: Eternal Enmity

by DittoWithAHat, Mangaluva



Series: The Keyleeverse [10]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Bloodsports, Childhood Trauma, Coming Out, Controlling religious household, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Transphobia, It's a nuzlocke so loads of Pokemon die what else is new, No talking Pokemon for a lot of the fic, Religious Discussion, Wow the tags got really serious this time, international politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-02-20 07:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 53,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13142130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DittoWithAHat/pseuds/DittoWithAHat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangaluva/pseuds/Mangaluva
Summary: In Unova, four teenagers come of age and set out with their first Pokemon. All they want is to travel together and start working towards their dreams. But forces beyond their understanding are about to clash, and will turn everything they know on its head in the process.(Part of the Keyleeverse, BUT this fic is being written with the aim of being accessible to entirely new readers, so if you haven't read any of the previous fics in the series, that's fine!)





	1. Nuvema Town

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays, folks! May I present to you the Black and White nuzlocke Eternal Enmity, which will start posting regularly in 2018, once the last chapter of Dimensional Destruction is up. Call this one an experiment; I originally wrote this fic entirely from Saylee and co’s perspective, but the cast of humans and Pokemon with speaking parts was HUGE, and I found I really liked writing Cheren, Bianca, Warren and Carlotta (the latter two being Hilbert and Hilda in the English release, but we like the German names better :P). So I’m trying this out with mine and Key’s nuzlocke Pokemon in the hands of teenagers who can’t speak to them, and so having to characterize them in other ways. Our main ladies’ presences will still be felt in every chapter, however, as they have their own parts to play in the major shift that’s about to occur in Unova…

{ _Reshin 15_ _th_ _, 10:58am}_

_{Nuvema Town}_

 

_“...our next story, a riot nearly broke out at Mistralton Airstrip this morning. Police and Mistralton Leader Skyla Huuro had to break up fights that broke out at Mistralton Commercial Airport today between anti-Fairlan protesters and a Plasma Foundation delegation and their supporters. Both groups had arrived at the airport for the arrival of the Fairlan Head of State, Champion Saylee Pryce, and her family. Champion Pryce has arrived for an extended diplomatic tour of Unova after a confrontation between the Fairlan and Unovan ambassadors at the UN over the issue of--”_

 

“They’re not supposed to leave the _Sar_ title out of her name, it’s the same as Sar Weaves,” Cheren commented as he wandered into Carlotta and Warren’s room with a couple of sodas that he’d gotten out of their fridge. He tossed one to Carlotta, who caught it without looking up from her spot at the window.

 

“You know what U-News is like, it’s a miracle they’re pronouncing her name right,” Carlotta said absentmindedly, wrapping her hands around the cold soda.

 

“Where’s War?” Cheren asked, unlocking Carlotta’s e-reader and making a face as he sat down on one of the cushions strewn across the floor and browsed through her comics. “You still buy _New Guardians of the Galaxy_? It’s garbage.”

 

“You just don’t know art when you see it,” Carlotta remarked, not looking over at her friend as she opened her soda. “He’s still at Professor Juniper’s getting the stuff.”

 

“Then he’s late,” Cheren commented, checking his C-gear.

 

“Calm down, Cheren, he’ll get them,” Carlotta insisted. She didn’t look around, but he could _hear_ her rolling her eyes. “Besides, we’ve got plenty of time. It’s fine.”

 

“Says the one who won’t stop staring out of the window,” Cheren pointed out.

 

“I’m not looking for Warren,” Carlotta said calmly.

 

“Then why are you staring out of the window like that?”

 

“Because there’s ninjas on top of the Hoenn Embassy,” Carlotta said, nodding at whatever she was looking at, then tucking her pink baseball cap slightly lower over her face and sipping her soda.

 

“Excuse me?” Cheren said, setting aside the reader and his soda and hopping to his feet to join her at the window. He stared, straightened his glasses, and stared some more. “My goodness. You meant that literally.”

 

“Literal ninjas,” Carlotta agreed, watching the tall figure in dark purple who was pacing back and forth along the edge of the embassy’s roof. Another one was standing by the front gate.

 

“You know, I always assumed that ninja were the kind of Fairlan stereotype that only ever appeared in movies,” Cheren commented. “I never believed that they were real, certainly not in this day and age. Why are they there?”

 

For an answer, Carlotta pointed at the TV, which was showing footage of the arguing between protesters and Plasma Foundation members that had turned into battling. Skyla Huuro was easily visible as she waded in with her huge bird Pokemon, while in the background of the shot a number of dark figures were making the Fairlan Champion and her family impossible to see. “The Fairlan Champion has _ninja bodyguards,_ how cool is that?”

 

Cheren looked pained. “That’s another thing they’re getting wrong,” he grumbled. “She’s the head of state of the _Tohjo Union_ , consisting of the countries Kanto and Johto, _not_ the whole Fairlands, which consists of the Tohojo Union, the Sevii Islands, and the countries of Hoenn and Sinnoh, all with separate--”

 

“Okay, see, I _knew_ it was weird that she was hanging around the Hoenn embassy,” Carlotta agreed.

 

Cheren frowned, pushing his glasses up his nose as he peered at the building. “That… is odd,” he agreed. “She’s coming here to learn more in detail about Pokemon in _Unovan_ society, isn’t she? I would think that she could deal with any business pertaining to Hoenn at home, when she’s _not_ on a diplomatic tour…”

 

“Yeah, but she definitely went in there,” Carlotta said, gesturing with her soda can, “and the ninjas followed. One of them _grappled_ across the rooftops. With an actual _grapple._ It was _awesome_. I thought about trying to film it, but I’d probably get assassinated…”

 

“Look, there they are now!” Cheren said, pointing and then quickly withdrawing his finger when the ninja on the roof paused and turned to look at him. Then the bodyguard dropped down next to the people exiting the building, stepping off of the roof as if they were simply walking down stairs.

 

The two teenagers recognized the Hoenn ambassador, Sar Key Weaves, although she was new, only having moved in with her family three months prior. She was definitely noticeable, though, often dressed in the most vividly colourful spectrum of skirtsuits that anybody in Nuvema Town had ever seen, her bright blonde hair usually bundled up in a large decorated clip. She seemed to have a hundred of them, all shaped like different Pokemon from Hoenn. Possibly they were Pokemon she’d trained before, as she was supposed to be a champion of the Hoenn Pokemon League, which over there was as much politics as sport. She was chattering animatedly to a much shorter woman with darker hair who was walking alongside her, a far less colourful figure in white dress trousers and a sleeveless red blouse.

 

“That’s her, right?” Carlotta asked Cheren. “The Champion? The little one?”

 

“There’s a Fairlan saying that means ‘dangerous things come in small packages’,” Cheren commented. “I guess the kid with the dark hair must be hers—Sar Weaves only has the twins, right?”

 

Carlotta nodded. “The kid really doesn’t take after their mom,” she noted, watching the tiny brunette who was taller than both of Sar Weaves’ hyperactive bright-blonde twins. All three kids were being held tightly in the grip of the two men following Sar Weaves and the Champion, who were trailed by a skinny, dark-haired teenager. “Y’know, I don’t know which one’s Mr Weaves… have you ever seen him? Dad says he manages a bunch of charities but doesn’t do public stuff, like, ever for some reason he wouldn’t talk about.”

 

“I think he’s the taller one,” Cheren said, nodding at the taller and darker of the two men who were bringing up the rear of the group, talking to another ninja. Nuvema Town was a secure community that largely housed Unova’s foreign embassies and people who worked at those embassies, so the two families were able to walk down the street without the attention of the horde of reporters that had met Sar Saylee Pryce off the flight from Kanto and was probably lying in wait to stalk her tour of the country.

 

“They must be pals,” Carlotta theorized, watching the two families walk up the road. “I mean, they must just be visiting friends, not doing political stuff, y’know?”

 

“I wonder where they’re going,” Cheren said, narrowing his eyes. “The Tohjo Embassy’s the other way.”

 

“I dunno, maybe they’ve got other friends in embassies here?” Carlotta suggested, watching the group walk past the Sinnoh embassy. “I hope they’re not going to Professor Juniper’s…”

 

Cheren checked his C-gear gain with an irritated sigh. “He’d _better_ get the Pokémon in time,” he grumbled. “We _can’t_ change the time of the escape plan…”

  


{ _Reshin 15_ _th_ _, 11:07am}_

_{Nuvema Town}_

 

“Thanks again for doing this,” Warren said, looking over and pocketing the three license cards.

 

“You, Carly and Cheren are all over sixteen,” Professor Juniper said with a smile. “It is absolutely your right to have and train Pokémon if you wish. What you--or any other sixteen-or-over trainer you happen to spend time with--do with these Pokémon is _entirely up to you._ ” She gave him a significant look before returning to cleaning her computer screen.

 

Warren grinned. When Cheren had first approached Professor Juniper about the legalities of acquiring and exchanging Pokémon, she’d asked him to make sure that they all knew what ‘plausible deniability’ meant. “Thanks again,” he said, picking up the box of pokéballs.

 

“Clear out,” she ordered, not looking up. “The Tohjo Champion’s coming to visit the lab, so her security team will be here any minute to sweep it. Go! Explore! Get into danger! Discover new things! Have _fun_! And,” she added in a softer tone, “look after each other, okay?”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Warren said, saluting and walking out of the lab and almost directly into a ninja. “Whoa!”

 

The man, tall with silver hair and sharp Fairlan features, gripped Warren’s arm and said something in Fairlan.

 

“Uh, sorry, man, I don’t speak Fairlan,” Warren said with a shrug.

 

The ninja turned and looked back as somebody behind him had a rapid conversation in Fairlan, then Sar Key Weaves, the Hoenn Ambassador, stepped up with a smile. “You are Mr and Mrs Arathos’ boy, yes?” she said in Unovan. “I am sorry. One moment, please, to explain to the security why you are here?”

 

“Just picking up some Pokemon,” Warren said, opening the box to show the three pokéballs inside. Sar Weaves rattled a Fairlan translation off to the ninja, who let go of Warren’s arm picked up the box, examining it thoroughly before nodding and returning it to Warren.

 

“Thank you,” Sar Weaves said with a smile. “You all have fun!”

 

“Thanks!” Warren said, stepping out of the way as two of the ninjas— _a security team of_ ninjas? _Carly’s gonna_ love _this—_ stepped into the lab. Warren hurried out of the lab, glancing curiously at the Tohjo Champion.

 

She was much shorter than he expected, a petite woman in a red-and-white formal outfit who nevertheless was probably the most threatening-looking head of state that he’d ever seen thanks to all the scars. There was something very deliberate about the way that her sleeveless blouse bared a huge swathe of pale pink burn scars across her right shoulder that ran down her bicep and a plethora of other scars, slashes and bites cross-crossing both arms. An unsettling set of darker scars around her neck looked like somebody had tried to decapitate her at least once, among other things. Entirely at odds with this was the delicate little snowflake necklace around her neck and the friendly smile she gave Warren.

 

 _Do they not have dermatological surgery in Kanto or something?_ he wondered as she looked down and said something to a little girl with long brown hair, who looked like her but also like the man holding her hand, presumably the Champion’s husband. He had the same skinny, short build that she did—he was shorter than Warren, though nowhere near as tiny as his wife—and his black shirt and brown shorts also showed up a number of scars on his arms and legs, the most notable being three parallel scars on the left side of his face that cut into his nose and perilously close to his left eye.

 

Warren had never seen Mr Weaves up close, so it was hard to be sure, but he was reasonably confident that Mr Weaves was probably the larger, muscular man with dark hair and skin, a thick beard and moustache, a weird cross-shaped scar across the middle of his face and a giggling blond twin under each arm. He definitely wasn’t the lanky, dark-haired teenage boy who was as tall as Sar Pryce and already staring with wide-eyed curiosity into Professor Juniper’s lab.

 

Since Nuvema Town was slightly more than half made up of embassies, other political institutions and their staff, Warren was used to suspicious security personnel; one of his earliest memories was, at four years old, being questioned about his intentions and the contents of his juicebox after squeezing through a hedge and running into a very twitchy new guard for the Kalosian ambassador. As such, he waited until he was well out of sight of the Fairlan group before dialling his sister on his C-gear, banking on the perpetually punctual Cheren already being at their house.

 

“I’ve got the stuff,” he announced. “Operation ‘Rescue The Princess’ is go. Did you see that the Tohjo Champ’s got freakin’ _ninjas_ for bodyguards?!”

  


{ _Reshin 15_ _th_ _, 11:12am}_

_{Nuvema Town}_

 

“I don’t think we should touch any of them yet,” Warren said, holding the box of pokéballs out of the reach of his inquisitive sister. “I think we should let Bianca pick first.”

 

“But what if something goes wrong with the plan and we need to fight our way out?” Carlotta insisted.

 

“We are _not_ going to attack Bianca’s parents with Pokémon, you terrorist,” Cheren said sternly. “The Bigot Bomb will be sufficient.”

 

“Besides, you _know_ if we start a Pokémon battle around here, we’ll have a whole UN of security teams on our asses,” Warren said, snapping the box shut almost on his sister’s fingers. “Now including, need I remind you, _ninjas_.”

 

“In the embassy directly across the road from Bianca’s house,” Cheren added.

 

“Well, unless they’re actually staying in the Hoenn embassy,” Carlotta added, nodding at her open bedroom window, which was letting in a cool breeze and the sounds of three children playing with a yapping Lillipup and yelling in loud Fairlan across the road. “Are the ninjas still on that roof?”

 

“The ninjas are on the roof,” Warren confirmed, leaning up to peer out of the window. “What a weird-ass sentence. Anyway, I swear that Tohjo Champ is scarier than any of her bodyguards. She looks like what doesn’t kill her should’ve tried harder, y’know?”

 

“Well, the Fairlands do still value prowess in battle very highly in their politicians,” Cheren said, eyeing up the box of pokeballs covetously, “and with all the terrorist problems they’ve had, it’s no wonder. She was the chief of police before becoming Champion, I believe.”

 

“Yeah, but do they just not have skin surgeries there or something?” Warren asked, moving the box out of Cheren’s line of sight. “She and her husband both looked more scar than skin.”

 

“Perhaps they’re still recovering from that brutal civil war they had thirty years ago,” Cheren suggested, leaning around to peer at the box. “I understand that many aspects of their health system and justice system are still rather crude.”

 

“I love how you know everything,” Warren said, grinning at Cheren and kissing his boyfriend’s cheek before leaning over his shoulder to throw a pillow at Carlotta as she tried to steal the box again.

  


{ _Reshin 15_ _th_ _, 10:17pm}_

_{Nuvema Town}_

 

Not all of Nuvema was political buildings; several blocks were owned by members of tight-knit religious groups who could afford the secure, relatively private area as their own little gated community.

 

The Romrams were one of the most insular, their children homeschooled and rarely leaving the two blocks of houses owned by members of the sect. Bianca’s house, on the corner across from the Tohjo Embassy, had always been easy to sneak in and out of. Carlotta, Warren and Cheren had been doing it since they were kids to visit the little blonde girl who got adorably overexcited about reading anything about Pokémon or playing with any toys that weren’t pink, red or orange.

 

Carlotta headed around the side of the building, following their latest, as-yet-undiscovered entry route under the far hedge while Warren and Cheren rang the doorbell and braced themselves for an onslaught of religious quotations about the horrible fates awaiting perverts, blasphemers and other bad influences on Mr D’Artagnan’s little girl.

 

Carlotta made it to Bianca’s window just as the shouting started, which handily covered the noise of Bianca opening her parents’ bedroom window and throwing her bag out. Carlotta ran over to grab it and yelped as it was yanked out of her arms by a ninja. “What the—?!”

 

The ninja said something in Fairlan which, after a moment, was translated by a device clipped to her shirt, projecting holographic Unovan words just in front of Carlotta’s face. _You are breaking into this house?_

 

“No I’m not! Sssh!” Carlotta hissed, glancing nervously at the front of the house, where from the sounds of it Mr D’Artagnan had gotten onto the topic of an eternity spent burning in fire and lightning. “I’m helping my friend break _out_!” The ninja stared steadily at Carlotta as the device translated her words to Fairlan, the strange characters hovering in the air between them.

 

“Carly?” Bianca’s voice hissed from above.

 

“I’m here!” Carlotta hissed back, raising her arms. “I’ve got you! If you get in the way and I drop her,” she added to the ninja, who was watching the translation of her words materialize, “ninja or not, I’ll kick your _ass_.”

 

The ninja showed no perceptible response to the translation of this threat, but merely watched as Bianca jumped out of the window and Carlotta caught her, staggering somewhat as her best friend’s weight hit her arms but, to her pride, not falling over. “My hero!” Bianca giggled overdramatically, hugging Carlotta as the brunette set her on her feet. “Uh… who’s that?”

 

“Please, please, _please_ don’t tell Mr D’Artagnan that we’re going!” Carlotta begged the ninja. “They’re Romrams!”

 

After the translator was done turning Carlotta’s words to Fairlan, the ninja barked a sharp question, which turned out to be _what?_ , though it was almost drowned out by a wordless scream of pure fury from the front of the house, suggesting that Warren and Cheren had dropped the Bigot Bomb by asking if the D’Artagnans’ hatred of their relationship meant that they were acknowledging Cheren was male.

 

“My parents are part of a religion that believes that humans and Pokémon shouldn’t mingle,” Bianca explained quickly. “They think that Pokémon training is degenerate. But I want to travel with Pokémon _so much_ ! _Please_ let us go!”

 

After a moment of listening to the translation, the ninja nodded and vanished. Carlotta handed Bianca’s bag to her. “ _Run_!” she hissed as the front door slammed loudly.

  


{ _Reshin 15_ _th_ _, 10:22pm}_

_{Nuvema Town}_

 

“Janine says the girl claims not to be breaking in,” Koga said, one hand to his ear as he listened to his comm, “but to be breaking her friend out of some sort of religious household…”

 

“Oh, that part of town’s all Romrams,” Key said, making a facing. “They’re an extremist Taotri sect, pretty insular. If a kid wants to break out of that, then fair play to them. It’s not really our problem.”

 

“Even if they were robbing that house, it’s still not really our problem,” Blue pointed out, looking down at the small figure that was lying on a guest bed, with Scarlet sitting on her mother’s lap and holding its hand. According to Archie, their name was Meloetta, and was usually a slim black-and-white Pokemon, but they were so covered with bruises and wounds that they were nearly unrecognizable. “I don’t think petty housebreakers did _this_.”

 

“Who _would_ do something like this?” Saylee asked, looking up at Key and Archie.

 

“My best guess would be some kind of collector, maybe, or a gang of poachers looking to cash in,” Archie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes blazed a little deeper blue for a moment, with red streaks shooting through them. “They're not the most powerful one out here, but they'd still be worth a lot of money in Unova.”

 

“But they _hurt_ Meloetta,” Scarlet whined in distress.

 

Saylee squeezed her daughter, kissing the top of her head. “Well, we’ll make sure they don’t get hurt any more,” she promised.

 

She glanced up at Red, who took the signal to pick Scarlet up. “I know you’re worried about Meloetta, but they've gotta sleep and so do you,” he said, hefting his niece onto his back to carry her through to her bedroom. “C’mon, say goodnight.”

 

“After all, Ray and Amy are already in bed,” Key said loudly and threateningly, inciting the sound of small feet running in the hall outside. “You can all come see how they're doing in the morning.”

 

“But ‘m not sleepy,” Scarlet complained, betraying herself with a big yawn. “...G’night, Auntie Key. G’night, Uncle Archie. G’night, Mister Koga, and say g’night to Miss Janine, ‘kay?”

 

“I will do so,” Koga promised seriously.

 

“G’night, Mummy, G’night Daddy,” Scarlet added, waving to her mother, who was tucking in the small black-and-white figure on the guest bed, and her father, who winked at her. “G’night, Meloetta,” Scarlet added in a whisper. “Get well soon…”


	2. Route 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a successful escape, the four meet their new Pokemon.

{ _ Reshin 15 _ _ th _ _ , 11:02pm} _

_ {Route 1} _

 

“To the success of Operation Rescue The Princess!” Warren sang, passing around bottles of soda as the four of them sat out under the stars. The summer night was so warm and clear that while all of them save Bianca had been camping plenty of times before, none of them were particularly fussed about putting up their tents. Eating packaged dinners under the stars had the right celebratory atmosphere.

 

“I just hope that ninja don’t tell my parents ‘bout us runnin’ away…” Bianca said, twisting her hands nervously around her bottle.

 

“They’re gonna notice when you’re not in your room in the mornin’, Bianca,” Carlotta said, rolling her eyes. “I’m just grateful that she didn’t sound the alarm or stab me or anythin’.”

 

“Once they confirmed that the situation was neither a break-in nor a kidnapping, they likely decided that it was none of their business,” Cheren said with a shrug. “Their business is, specifically, anyone or anything that may be a threat to Sar Saylee Pryce or her family. We are not in that category.”

 

“Well, unless you believe Bianca’s folks that we corrupt the very air we breathe,” Warren said, patting Cheren’s shoulder with a grin. 

 

“To corrupting the purity of evenly divided and partitioned existence,” Cheren said, clinking his can against Warren’s and then kissing his boyfriend instead of drinking the toast. Bianca pilfered both of their cookies while they were distracted.

 

“I think we should celebrate by pickin’ our Pokémon,” Carlotta suggested, grabbing Warren’s bag to get the box out, which proved to be enough to get her brother and his boyfriend to come up for air to intercept her.

 

“Remember, we agreed that Bianca gets to pick first,” Warren pointed out.

 

“I  _ know _ ! Here,” Carlotta said, opening the box with a flourish and presenting it to Bianca. “We got a Snivy, an Oshawott and a Tepig,” she informed the blonde, “and you get first pick. Whichever one you want!”

 

“Snivy is a grass-type that evolves into Servine and then Serperior,” Cheren rattled off. “Oshawott is a water-type and evolves into Dewott and Samurott. Tepig is a fire-type that also becomes part fighting when it evolves into Pignite and Emboar. Their best-known attacks are Leaf Tornado, Razor Shell and Flame Charge, respectively. It can be difficult to earn a Snivy’s respect, but they are famously intelligent and protective of their trainers once they’ve bonded. Oshawott are known for being affectionate and fiercely loyal. Tepig are the most headstrong but also very friendly. When they evolve, the--”

 

“Thank you kindly, Cheren,” Bianca giggled, cutting off Encyclopedia Mode. She stared at the pokeballs for a long moment, biting her lip. “I… I think… I think I want Tepig,” she said finally, reaching out a tentative hand for the pokeball with the fire decal.

 

“Yesss! I get Oshawott!” Carlotta hooted, snatching up the pokeball that was emblazoned with a water droplet almost before Bianca had gotten a grip around her own pokeball.

 

Cheren sighed, but smiled. “I wanted to take on the challenge of raising a Snivy anyway,” he declared, taking the last pokeball, which had a small green leaf emblem on it. “I suppose that if we’re travelling together, we can trade at any time if we are unsatisfied with our choices.”

 

“I actually have a  _ Pokemon _ ,” Bianca said, hugging the pokeball in rapture. “I could  _ never _ be unsatisfied with this baby!”

 

“So release ‘em and meet ‘em,” Warren suggested, peering curiously at the pokeballs. “And then one of you owes me an Audino.”

 

“I’ll catch you one!” Bianca promised, holding out the pokeball containing her new Tepig. Her hand shook slightly as she did so. “Do… do you think it’ll like me?” she asked, her excitement at having a Pokemon of her own suddenly overtaken by nerves and fear. 

 

“Tepig are about as friendly as they come,” Cheren assured her. “And so are you, so I am certain that the pair of you will be fast friends.” 

 

“Okay…” Bianca said, taking a deep breath and opening the pokeball.

 

The little orange-and-black Tepig that appeared shook its head as it materialized, as if waking from a long sleep, and then immediately flattened its ears at the happy squeal from its new owner. It stared up at her, wide-eyed.

 

“The way you’re squeakin’, I think it thinks you’re tryin’ to talk to it!” Warren laughed. 

 

“I can’t help it! It’s so  _ cute _ !” Bianca squealed, holding out her hands to the small fire-type. It sniffed her hands with its large snout, squeaking interrogatively before looking up at Bianca. When she smiled, it smiled back and hopped into her hands, allowing itself to be picked up and cuddled. “I  _ love _ you, Tepig!” Bianca sang.

 

“My pokedex says ‘e’s a boy,” Warren said, scanning up and down his device. “It also says ‘unregistered’--your fingerprints opened the pokeball so it’ll only open for you, but we definitely need to go get you a trainer card in the mornin’. Congrats!”

 

“What are you gonna call ‘im?” Carlotta asked, reaching out a finger to tickle the little Tepig. He tucked his head shyly under Bianca’s arm, squeaking.

 

“Hmmm… Tiberius,” Bianca declared, stroking her new Pokemon’s ears. “He looks like a Tiberius, don’t ‘e?”

 

“If you say so,” Warren said with a shrug. 

 

“My turn!” Carlotta said, hopping to her feet and opening her new pokeball. 

 

“Hey, what makes it  _ your _ \--oh, never mind,” Cheren sighed as Carlotta opened her pokeball and her new Oshawott  _ leapt _ out, squeaking enthusiastically and brandishing its scallop proudly. It spun on its heel, taking them all in, chirped and waved to Tiberius, then spotted its pokeball in Carlotta’s hand and bowed to her.

 

“ _ Nice _ ,” Carlotta said with a grin, reaching out to pet her Oshawott’s head.

 

“He’s a boy, and… yep, now registered to your trainer card,” Warren affirmed, glancing down at his pokedex. “What’s ‘is name gonna be?”

 

“Well,  _ clearly _ this little guy’s a mighty hero, so I’m gonna call ‘im  _ Owain _ !” Carlotta declared, pointing at her new Oshawott. Owain pointed at himself and squeaked. Tiberius snorted at him, sending the little water-type into a high-pitched tirade, waving his scallop about. “Hey, no more of that,” Carlotta decided, pulling Owain into her lap. “Bianca’s my friend, so that makes Tiberius your friend too, got it?”

 

“Well, you guys should probably all have practice battles once Cheren’s met his Snivy,” Warren said pointedly.

 

“Ooooh, yes, let’s meet ‘im!” Bianca squealed, pointing at the leaf-decorated pokeball in Cheren’s hand.

 

“About time, too,” Cheren said in a mock huff. He clicked the pokeball open, releasing a small green-and-white lizard onto the ground. Owain and Tiberius immediately set up a chorus of what were presumably “hello”s, and Owain started brandishing his scallop again. The Snivy just blinked slowly at the pair of them, then turned up its nose.

 

“Snooty little jerk,” Warren chuckled. “Also a boy, by the way, and securely registered. What are you gonna call ‘im?”

 

“I don’t know… what?” Cheren asked as Warren grinned broadly. 

 

“Yeah, you do,” Warren prodded. “Go on. You know you wanna.”

 

“I was joking!” Cheren complained, throwing up his hands.

 

“Jokin’ about what?” Bianca asked curiously.

 

“You joked about it a  _ lot _ ,” Warren pointed out. “C’mon, it ain’t geekier than Carly naming her Oshawott after a video game character. Bianca’s gone for a freakin’  _ Scriptural _ name. You are not the biggest--well, not the  _ only _ dork in the field,” he corrected himself with an unrepentant grin.

 

“Fine,” Cheren declared with a sigh, reaching a hand out to his Snivy. “Forgive me, but your name is now Sherlock.”

 

“Aww, c’mon, that’s perfect!” Bianca said brightly. “I mean, he looks real smart--or real snobby, anyway… that’s the same thing, right?”

 

“Perfect match for Cheren,” Carlotta sniggered. Sherlock looked from her and Owain, to Bianca and Tiberius, and then at Cheren, who rolled his eyes. Sherlock smirked and scurried up Cheren’s arm to curl up on his shoulder. 

 

“Aww, I think they’re goin’ to sleep,” Bianca giggled, rubbing her eyes. “Maybe we should practice battle in the mornin’?”

 

“Well, if we want to move at first light, that gives us five hours,” Warren said, looking at his watch. “Hope you all had your naps earlier…” He gave Carlotta a stink-eye. “And if not, you’re gonna just have to deal with it tomorrow.”

 

“Yes,  _ sir _ ,” Carlotta declared, saluting her twin as she flopped over backwards, tugging her bag under her head as a pillow. Owain curled up against her shoulder. “Night, all.”

 

“Good night,” Bianca yawned, curling up on her side with Tiberius cuddled close. “And… thanks, y’all. Really. I can’t tell all y’all how much this means to me…”

 

“It’s our pleasure,” Warren told her, wrapping an arm around Cheren’s shoulder as they lay down, tugging his hat over his eyes and sticking a thumbs-up in the air. “All for one, and all that junk.”

 

{ _ Reshin 16 _ _ th _ _ , 06:13am} _

_ {Route 1} _

 

“Round one: Carly vs Bianca!” Warren called, flipping pancakes over the small portable grill while Cheren fed berries to Sherlock. “Aaaand go!”

 

“Tackle, Owain!” Carlotta ordered. The Oshawott immediately barrelled headfirst into his opponent.

 

“Tiberius!” Bianca cried. “Ummm… Tail Whip!” Tiberius turned, hitting Owain with his springy tail, making the Oshawott squeak unhappily.

 

“Tackle ‘im again, Owain!” Carlotta called. Owain hit Tiberius again, knocking him to the ground. 

 

“Oh, no… umm… Tackle!” Bianca shouted. Tiberius was looking the worse for wear now, but he got to his trotters and hit Owain full-force, knocking him down. Owain whimpered as he staggered back to his feet.

 

“That’s it! I know you’ve got it in you! One more Tackle!” Carlotta hollered. Before Bianca could respond, Owain knocked Tiberius down, and this time the Tepig collapsed with his eyes closed and didn’t get up.

 

“Match!” Warren called. “The winner’s Carly! Bianca, bring ‘im here so I can check on ‘im, okay?”

 

“Sure,” Bianca said, hurrying to scoop up her Tepig. “You did a great job,” she whispered. “And so did you! Wow, Carly! You’re really tough!”

 

“Woo-HOO! That was an  _ awesome _ first match!” Carlotta said, leaning down to rub Owain’s head. He smiled up at her, waving a little weakly. “Hey, War, you got some healing juice for Owain?”

 

“Let me give Tiberius his Potion first,” Warren said, spraying a bottle over the Tepig’s wounds. “Cher, can you get the pancakes?”

 

“Got ‘em,” Cheren said, quickly tipping a slightly burning pancake out of the pan and onto a napkin. “Help yourself, Bianca. You put up a pretty smart fight, weakening Owain’s defenses like that. They’re just too young to do much of anything tactical. Carly, are you up for the next fight against me?” he asked.

 

“Bring it,” Carlotta said, catching the potion that her brother tossed to her and kneeling down to spray it over Owain’s wounds. “How you feelin’, big guy? Ready to fight again?” Owain waved his scallop, chittering proudly.

 

“Come on, Sherlock,” Cheren said, standing up and allowing Bianca to take his vacant seat with a plate of pancakes. “You’ve got the advantage here.”

 

“If he knew any grass moves yet,” Carlotta pointed out with a grin. “Owain’s gonna  _ wreck _ your delicate little leaf.”

 

“He’s not as delicate as he looks,” Cheren promised.

 

“Just fight already!” Warren yelled, pouring more pancakes.

 

“Leer!” Cheren ordered immediately. Owain flinched as Sherlock glared at him.

 

“Don’t be scared of that twig!” Carlotta ordered. “Tackle!”

 

“Don’t you have  _ any _ other strategies?” Cheren asked with a frown. “Tackle, Sherlock!” Owain was knocked down by Sherlock’s full-bodied strike, but easily rolled back to his feet.

 

“Hey, this early, we’re gonna go with what works,” Carlotta responded. “Tackle ‘im again, Owain!”

 

Sherlock screeched as Owain slammed into him, crumpling on the ground.

 

“That’s the match!” Warren called. “That looked like a critical hit! Cheren, bring ‘im here, lemme see ‘im…”

 

“Good match,” Cheren said, fistbumping Carlotta as they both went to pick up their Pokemon and he hurried his unconscious Snivy into his boyfriend’s care.

 

“Yeahhhh! Two for two!” Carlotta whooped, hoisting Owain up in the air. “Well done, little guy! You’re a  _ badass _ !”

 

Owain cheered and spat a jet of water into the air.

 

“A badass who just learned Water Gun, from the looks of it,” Cheren mused, smiling at Sherlock as the Snivy blinked awake. “Bianca, shall we have the next match?”

 

“We’re game, right, Tiberius?” Bianca said, feeding her Tepig a last berry before getting up. Tiberius squeaked, shaking his ears out before running onto the field to face Sherlock.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 16 _ _ th _ _ , 07:31am} _

_ {Nuvema Town} _

 

“Mummy, look!” Scarlet called, running into the dining room. “We’re twinsies! Like Amy and Ray!”

 

“What do-- _ oh _ ,” Saylee said in surprise, staring at the exact clone of her daughter that was following Scarlet into the room. “What’s…?”

 

“Meloetta,” Janine said, gesturing to the second girl as she walked into the room. “If you listen closely, you can hear her humming. She’s using the humming to project some form of glamour. It’s kind of amazing.”

 

“She looks  _ exactly _ like you, Lettie!” Amber said, peering closely at Meloetta. “ _ Cool _ !”

 

“Hey, can you transform into other stuff, too?” Raphael asked excitedly. “Like… like dinosaurs! Or an alien!”

 

“Nuh-uh! She’s gotta look like a human so the people who hurt her can’t find her, dummy!” Scarlet argued.

 

“Hey, play nice,” Blue said, stepping in between his daughter and the twins, ostensibly to crouch down in front of Meloetta. “Don’t call people ‘dummy’, it’s mean. Are you doing this because you want to come with us?” he asked Meloetta

 

Meloetta nodded tentatively, their glamour dissolving when their humming stopped. “If you are willing, I would be grateful,” they said melodically. “I ask for little but to hide among you. I do not wish to endanger you.”

 

“We’ll protect you!  _ My _ mummy and daddy are the  _ best _ trainers in all Kanto an’ Johto,” Scarlet declared proudly.

 

“An’  _ our _ mummy’s the best trainer in all Hoenn!” Amber added.

 

“They can beat up  _ anybody _ !” Raphael put in. “Hey, can you turn into  _ me _ ?” All three children shrieked with laughter as Meloetta smiled and promptly did so.

 

“Which doesn’t make much difference if we don’t have any Pokemon for  _ diplomatic reasons _ ,” Key muttered sourly. “ _ WMDs _ my ass…”

 

“Which is  _ why _ I brought the greatest  _ human _ warriors in the Fairlands as my security detail,” Saylee said soothingly, gesturing to Janine in a vague gesture that also encompassed the rest of the building and wherever Koga, Linda and Alice might be lurking.

 

“And we  _ did _ take care to bring Pokemon just below the level where they’re classified as WMDs in Unova,” Janine added, tapping the pokeballs on her belt. “We can protect you and Meloetta from whatever poachers attacked her--”

 

“Not poachers,” Meloetta interrupted, their glamour dissolving again when they stopped humming to speak. “A Hydreigon, one of the rarest and most fell creatures in Unova. This was not a wild one, either, but one trained specifically to hunt rare ones like myself…” They trailed off, frowning in concern. “I must at least go to Castelia with you. I… have a friend there whose safety I must see to. You are kind people, with Kyogre themself among you…” They gestured to Archie, who nodded vaguely, frowning in a way that suggested some internal debate was going on. “...But please forgive me for not saying more,” Meloetta concluded. “It is a matter of safety. You understand.”

 

“Fair enough, really,” Saylee said with a nod. “We  _ are _ going to Castelia for the party Caitlin’s throwing.”

 

“Until then, what are we gonna do, tell people we secretly had twins this whole time?” Blue asked, ruffling Scarlet’s hair. “We’ve got hotels and appearances booked, public shit like that where everybody involved knows we have  _ one _ kid. The public probably doesn’t know the difference, but all it takes is one person to get off their ass and check either of our official profiles, right?”

 

“Easiest would be for Meloetta to masquerade as part of the security detail,” Janine suggested. “We all keep our faces hidden in public, nobody’s paying as much attention to who we are as who you are, and even if they are, part of our formation requires that nobody be able to see all of us at once. Preferably, only half of us should be visible at a time, at most. So if Meloetta remains as one of the visible ones, nobody knows how many are hidden out of sight…” She chuckled. “And if we  _ are _ needed, it’ll be a nice extra element of surprise if somebody who  _ is _ paying enough attention to know that you have four guards doesn’t see the fifth coming!”

 

“How about it, Meloetta?” Saylee asked, gesturing to Janine, who pulled her hood and mask up to conceal her features. Meloetta looked up up and down, then began to hum again, their form shifting up to be a duplicate of Janine, as indistinguishable as she was from Linda and Alice and even Koga if you weren’t paying attention to how they moved. “I think I should take that as a yes.”

 

“Why can’t Daddy come with us?” Raphael said with a pout. “He could beat  _ anybody _ !”

 

Archie smiled tightly as he sat down next to his kids, putting his arms around their shoulders. “Daddy’s special rules, you know that,” he said gently. “I can’t travel with you. It’s not allowed.”

 

“Well it’s not  _ special  _ rules, ‘cause Uncle Silver comes to Kanto all the time,” Scarlet pouted. “How come  _ you _ got extra special house rules?”

 

“Send me lots of cool pictures, okay?” Archie said, ignoring the question and squeezing the twins until they began to giggle and flail to escape, “Especially if you find any weird Unovan water Pokemon!”

 

“I’ll bring Dad, Linda and Alice up to speed,” Janine said, pulling her hood back down and reaching up to her comm.

 

“I know we can trust their discretion,” Saylee said, glancing at Meloetta.

 

“You wouldn’t have brought us as your guards if you couldn’t,” Janine said. “Meloetta, while you’re disguised as part of the security detail, you’re playing a junior member, okay? That means obeying any order that the rest of us give you. That isn’t a trainer-Pokemon thing, it’s just a hierarchy thing--Linda, Alice and I all obey any orders Dad gives, Linda and Alice have to obey any orders  _ I _ give, and so on. Okay?” Meloetta nodded silently without dropping their glamour. 

 

“And  _ we _ need to get packed to go to Striaton,” Saylee said, checking an alert that came up on her pokegear. “Lettie, Amy, Ray--you understand, right?” she said, crouching down to be at the kids’ eye level. “Meloetta isn’t quite like Archie or Uncle Silver, but she  _ is _ somebody that you can’t tell  _ anybody _ about, okay? It’s  _ just _ as important to keep Meloetta a secret as to keep Archie and Silver secret.”

 

“Duh!” Scarlet proclaimed, putting her hands on her hips and nodding at the younger twins. “We won’t tell  _ anybody _ we ever saw Meloetta, right?”

 

“Nope! Not ever!” Amber swore.

  
“We’re not gonna let anybody hurt you, even if you  _ are _ a ninja now,” Raphael promised, looking up at Meloetta. “Hey, can you turn into a pirate?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Meloetta event was going on around the time I started playing this run (that’s how long ago I played this :P) so I decided to make her a story element. I never used her ingame because you get her at level 50, so it would probably be cheating. 
> 
> Okay also, basically: My ingame catches are going to be given to Bianca, while Key’s ingame catches and deaths on her two runs are given to Carlotta and Cheren, and Warren is just gonna get an Audino for the time being because this party needs a healer (Clearly, Carlotta’s the fighter, Cheren’s the wizard, and Bianca, as the only one of them who can carry a tune in a bucket, is the bard.) By the way, literally all three of these starter names have nerdy origins. Sherlock should be obvious, and Owain’s named after a Fire Emblem character, but when I was trying to think of a Tepig name beginning with T, my first thought was “James Tiberius Kirk”. He’s just Tiberius, though. ANYWAY. 
> 
> I do not have regular schedule plans at this time, but here’s hoping this does not take the two and a half years that Dimensional Destruction did! Actually, this only being 39 chapters, my goal is to finish it in under a year. I hope you’re as excited as I am to get on with it!
> 
> I will also call this the casting call officially closed. Thank you very much to everybody who submitted a character, and I look forward to featuring them all!
> 
> Carlotta  
> Name: Owain. Species: Oshawott. Nature: Adamant. Ability: Torrent. Caught: Nuvema Town. Level: 5
> 
> Bianca  
> Name: Tiberius. Species: Tepig. Nature: Jolly. Ability: Blaze. Caught: Nuvema Town. Level: 5.
> 
> Cheren  
> Name: Sherlock. Species: Snivy. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Overgrow. Caught: Nuvema Town. Level: 5.


	3. Striaton Square

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First catches, first losses, first encounters. The group's first day as trainers is a momentous one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 0 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0

{ _ Reshin 16 _ _ th _ _ , 07:32am} _

_ {Accumula Town} _

 

“I’m so sorry, Tiberius,” Bianca said dejectedly as she handed her Tepig’s pokeball and her ID over to the Pokemon Centre nurse. 

 

“They’re barely trained,” Cheren promised her, hanging on to Sherlock’s pokeball and his ID while he waited for his turn. “At this stage, it’s honestly as much luck and random chance as anything else whether we win or lose.”

 

“Guess that makes me the luckiest bitch here,” Carlotta said proudly. 

 

“Be polite or the nurse ain’t gonna heal Owain,” Warren pointed out as the nurse gave them a Look over Bianca’s head while giving her back her pokeball and ID. “And then how are you gonna catch me my Audino?”

 

“ _ I’ll _ catch one for you,” Cheren promised, handing over his ID and Sherlock’s pokeball to the nurse. “We’ll need to go buy some pokeballs and supplies…”

 

“I’m afraid that our Centre store has closed for lunch early,” the nurse said apologetically as she ran Sherlock’s pokeball through the healing machine. “Most of the staff would rather be out of the way of the Plasma rally that’s about to start outside.”

 

“Plasma? The Pokemon Rights Foundation?” Cheren asked with interest.

 

The nurse gave him a cold look as she handed back Sherlock’s pokeball and Cheren’s ID. “Well, that’s what they  _ call _ themselves,” she said archly. 

 

“You ain’t a fan?” Carlotta asked, handing over Owain’s pokeball and her ID. 

 

“A fan? They’re not a band or a sports team,” the nurse snorted as she healed Owain. “They’re an activist group, and an extremist one at that. I’d recommend that you kids keep away from them.” She took a deep breath and resumed her professional smile. “Can I help you with anything else today?” she said brightly.

 

“No, thank you very much,” Warren said, immediately towing the other three away from the counter. 

 

“Shall we have a look at the Plasma rally before we go catch more Pokemon?” Cheren suggested.

 

“What  _ are _ Plasma?” Bianca asked in confusion. “Why don’t she like Plasma?”

 

“You know, I’m not even surprised that you’ve never heard of them in your household,” Cheren commented. “They’re a Pokemon Rights movement. They argue that Pokemon, as intelligent creatures, should not be kept in pokeballs or bought, sold and owned as property. They’re rather extreme in making their points, but I do believe that they’re right that Unovan law pays too little heed to the needs of Pokemon, and a lot of the competitive breeding industry is excessively cruel…”

 

“Extreme is right,” Warren snorted. “The reason that nurse don’t like Plasma is probably ‘cause of their more extreme publicity stunts, like attackin’ a breedin’ centre to release the Pokemon inside.”

 

“Did they hurt folks?” Bianca asked with a frown.

 

“The breedin’ centre employees, yeah, and they released a loada newborn baby Chatot in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter,” Warren sighed. “The Plasma attackers set the breedin’ centre on fire to keep the breeders from recapturin’ the Chatot, but that just meant that half of ‘em burned to death tryin’ to stay near the fire for warmth, and the rest froze to death.”

 

“Some members of the movement are real jackasses,” Carlotta put in. “I mean, didn’t one of ‘em throw  _ acid _ in a trainer’s  _ face _ ? Like, didn’t start a fight or anythin’, just walked up to ‘em outside of a Pokemon Centre and threw gondamned  _ acid _ at ‘em.”

 

“Dangerous stunts like that really undermine the movement,” Cheren said with a scowl, gesturing to the group of people in blue tabards and hoods who were hoisting pennants around the stage. “Some people are only in it to cause trouble. But the leaders really  _ care _ about Pokemon, like… oh, wow, is that  _ Ghetsis _ ?”

 

Moving up to front and centre of the stage was an older man in a long, shapeless blue-and-yellow robe. He had pale skin, faded green hair and a large red-and-white eyepatch over his right eye. He smiled benevolently at the crowd as they started to quiet down as they noticed him waiting on the stage.

 

“Hello, people of Accumula!” he called, causing those who were still talking to fall silent. “My name is Ghetsis! I am here representing the Plasma Foundation!”

 

His associates all cheered and raised their banners at the mention of the name. A few crowd members cheered, too, while others clutched closer Pokemon that they were holding.

 

“Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation,” Ghetsis continued. “I’m sure most of believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However… is that really the truth?” He was speaking sadly, like a parent very regretfully telling a child that no, they can’t grow up to be a Braviary. “Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans… only assume that is the truth? Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of trainers… They get pushed around when they are our ‘partners’ at work… Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I’m saying?”

 

Bianca clutched Tiberius’ pokeball, wide-eyed and horror-struck. Carlotta put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze. 

 

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon are different from humans,” Ghetsis continued. “They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?” There was a lot of muttering from the crowd until someone shouted a single word.

 

“LIBERATION!”

 

“That’s right!” Ghetsis responded, shouting more powerfully now. “We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon… and the correct way to proceed.” He bowed his head, returning to a more normal volume. “We sincerely appreciate your attention.”

 

Some people clapped, but most people started muttering nervously to each other, or to their Pokemon.

 

“Is that true?” Bianca said, looking stricken. “Are we hurtin’ our Pokemon by…?” She held out Tiberius’ pokeball.

 

“Hey, you’re okay now, they’ve proved that Pokeballs don’t hurt Pokemon ‘less they’ve got an allergy only electric-types can get,” Warren assured her. “Tiberius is fine. You’ve been carin’ for ‘im well since the moment you got ‘im, lettin’ ‘im rest outside his pokeball and feedin’ ‘im well and everythin’.”

 

“But I let ‘im get hurt fightin’ Carly and Cheren…” Bianca said, crestfallen.

 

“You didn’t push ‘im any more in that fight than the kinda fights Pokemon get into in the wild,” Carlotta reassured her. “Be careful trainin’ ‘im and don’t push ‘im too far, and he’ll be fine.”

 

“The problem is that due to the League’s lack of interest in pushing any real regulations, others will not be so cautious,” Cheren pointed out. “Trainers are perfectly free to gamble with their Pokemon’s lives with no repercussions from the League. The competitive breeding industry is worth a fortune, and that’s more important to the lawmakers of this country than the lives of Pokemon. Issues like that are what is currently causing such strife between Unova and the Fairlands--but even in the Fairlands, where Pokemon have all the rights of humans, they still fight competitively.”

 

“All of which you are absolutely right about, as usual,” Warren said, patting Cheren on the shoulder, “but save the lectures for the gym leaders, okay?”

 

“You’re scarin’ Bianca!” Carlotta warned him, hugging her best friend protectively. “Don’t worry. We can protect each other, and once we get Warren his Audino, he’ll be able to heal  _ anythin’ _ .” 

 

“On that note… back to Route 1 for catchin’?” Warren suggested pointedly. 

  
  


{ _ Reshin 16 _ _ th _ _ , 08:09am} _

_ {Route 1} _

 

“G-Go on, Tiberius! Tackle!” Bianca called nervously, clutching an empty pokeball as her Tepig knocked the wild Lillipup to the ground. It got back to its paws, panting with exertion. “Ummm… Tail Whip!”

 

The wild Lillipup flinched as Tiberius hit it with his tail, but tackled him again anyway. The attack was so weak that it barely shifted his footing, though its own tail was wagging fit to bust. Bianca took the chance and flung a pokeball at the tiny brown Pokemon.

 

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon…” she mumbled, crossing her fingers as she watched the ball rock back and forth. “C’mon, c’mon… YES!” she squealed as the ball locked. “You’re the BEST, Tiberius!”

 

Bianca scooped up the pokeball, cuddling it happily. Tiberius hopped up into her lap with a proud squeak.

 

“Oh, you’re hurt!” Bianca gasped, realizing that the little fire-type was covered in bruises. “C’mon, let’s go find War and get you all healed up, alright?” Scooping up the Tepig under one arm and continuing to clutch her new pokeball in the other, she hurried off across the fields of Route 1, heading to the meeting point that Warren had offered to wait at while she, Carlotta and Cheren spread out to make their first captures. She couldn’t help looking over her shoulder every few feet, nervously expecting to see her parents or her priest on the horizon.

 

“They can’t make me go back,” she told Tiberius quietly. “I’m gonna be with you and my friends. I ain’t goin’ back, and they can’t make me. I’m sixteen, they really can’t, it’s the law. The League can’t give ‘em my info without my say-so, they don’t know where my card’s checked in, and they’ll be lookin’ at gyms first, right?”

 

Tiberius squeaked in confusion, then leaned up to nuzzle her chin.

 

“Sorry,” Bianca said, hugging him. “Guess you don’t understand much of what I’m sayin’, do you? It’s alright. Thanks for tryin’ to help me feel better. I know I can count on you an’ my friends to stand with me if they find me, anyway, right?”

 

Tiberius continued to look confused, but he gave her another nuzzle on the chin to comfort her.

 

{ _ Reshin 16 _ _ th _ _ , 08:21am} _

_ {Route 1} _

 

“Aw, of course you had to beat me to it,” Carlotta complained, jogging up to her brother and his boyfriend with Owain tucked under one arm and her new Lillipup’s pokeball in the other hand. “Bet you rushed it just so you could have some alone time with W--oh.”

 

She stopped short when she got close enough to see that Cheren and Warren were bent over an unmoving Patrat. “Sorry, Cher,” Warren said, shaking his head. “You hit the poor thing a bit too hard.”

 

Cheren sighed, reaching up to pet his Snivy. “It’s not your fault, Sherlock,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t…” Warren leaned over to put an arm around Cheren’s shoulders, resting his forehead against his boyfriend’s. 

 

Carlotta sat down next to her brother, trying not to look at the sad, limp form of the dead Patrat. “What happened?” she asked softly.

 

“I was… training Sherlock up a bit,” Cheren said with a deep sigh. “I wanted to make him a little stronger before I caught anything else… went a little too far…”

 

“It was just an accident, Cher,” Warren said. “C’mon. Let’s bury ‘im.”

 

“Too bad none of these guys know Dig,” Carlotta sighed, kneeling down and setting down Owain and her Lillipup’s pokeball so her hands were free to dig into the soft summer earth. Owain peered at what she was doing for a minute, then used his scallop shell as a little shovel to help her dig.

 

“Heh… clever little guy, ain’t he?” Warren said, helping his sister dig. 

 

Warren petted Sherlock’s head again as the Snivy slinked down his arm and up to Owain, softly hissing to the Oshawott, who responded with a quiet purr. The two continued to chitter to each other as the humans covered up the Patrat again and made for the river to wash their hands.

 

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” Cheren mused, rolling up his sleeves and dipping his hands in the clear, running water.

 

“Your Pokemon… just now, it was saying…”

 

All three of them looked up sharply at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. It was issuing from a tall young man who was walking up to them, hands in his pockets, cap pulled so low that his face was hard to see even from a low angle but with a massive mess of light-green hair spilling out the ponytail loop in the back. A small purple Purrloin was curling about his heels as he trailed off into rapid mumbling.

 

“Slow down, you talk too fast,” Cheren said, standing up and pulling out a handkerchief to dry his hands on. Cheren had always been taller than Carlotta, Warren and Bianca, but even he was noticeably shorter than the lanky newcomer. “What was that about Pokemon… talking? What an odd thing to you say. Are you one of those Fairlans who believe they can talk to Pokemon?”

 

“Yes, they’re talking,” the stranger affirmed with a nod, pointing to Owain and Sherlock.

 

“I mean, sure, they’re communicatin’, but it ain’t really  _ speech _ , is it?” Carlotta said, nonplussed. She wiped her hands on her shorts as she stood up, absentmindedly tugging at her own ponytail.

 

The young man scowled. “Oh, then you can’t hear it… how sad,” he said softly, condescension dripping off of his tone.

 

“Excuse me, but who exactly are you?” Warren asked sharply.

 

The stranger straightened up, pulling his hands out of his pockets and pressing his right hand over his heart. “My name is N,” he said formally. He glanced over them--very much  _ over _ them, appearing to be looking at the tops of their heads instead of making eye contact.

 

Carlotta exchanged a  _ is this guy for real? _ look with her brother while Cheren, a little nonplussed by the sudden formality, replied, “my name is Cheren Athos, and this is Warren and Carlotta Arathos. We are new trainers who are intending to travel Unova. Carlotta and I are both planning on taking the League challenge… but I, of course, will be Champion,” he added, forcing Carlotta to playfully punch him in the arm.

 

“The League, right?” N mused. “So… you’re going to confine many, many Pokemon in pokeballs for that, then.” He gestured to the pokeball sitting next to Owain, who looked down at it and then back up at N. “I’m a trainer, too,” N continued, stooping to pet the ears of the Purrloin at his ankles, “but I can’t help wondering… are Pokemon really happy that way?”

 

Owain suddenly stood up, squeaking loudly. “Ssssh, Owain,” Carlotta hissed, picking up her suddenly unruly Oshawott’s pokeball.

 

“No, don’t… Carlotta, was it?” N asked, suddenly crouching down  _ very _ close to her. 

 

Carlotta fell over backwards with a surprised yelp. “Alright, man, you invade my personal space like that again, and you’re not gonna like what happens next,” she threatened, rolling back into a crouch with fists up.

 

N glanced quickly at her in confusion, before turning his focus back to Owain. “Let me hear your Pokemon’s voice again.”

 

Owain started squeaking again, waving his arms as he chattered to N. “You alright?” Warren asked, offering his sister a hand up and glaring at N.

 

“Yeah, he just spooked me… I didn’t even see ‘im  _ move _ ,” Carlotta said, staring down at N, who was stock-still aside from nodding occasionally as he listened to Owain. “Do you think he’s really…?”

 

“He can’t be,” Cheren said, shaking his head. “Fairlan culture claims that humans can speak to Pokemon, but that can’t be possible--almost every species of Pokemon has its own form of communication, and none of them are developed enough to be termed ‘language’...”

 

“I never expected to hear Pokemon say such things,” N said abruptly, petting Owain on the head before standing up. “But as long as Pokemon are confined in pokeballs, they will never become perfect beings.” He turned back to face the humans, hands shoved in his pockets. “I have to change the world for Pokemon,” he announced, “because they’re my friends.”

 

With that, he turned on his heel and quickly strode off, the Purrloin still following him closely.

 

“Was that a thing that just happened right there?” Warren wanted to know. “What was  _ wrong _ with that guy?”

 

“I think I saw him in the crowd at the rally,” Cheren commented, pushing his glasses up his nose. “He must be a Plasma supporter. I hope he isn’t one of the  _ extreme _ ones. I like my face  _ without _ acid burns.”

 

“So do I,” Warren said, kissing him on the nose, “so let’s find me an Audino so we can afford to avoid Pokemon Centres for a while, okay?”

 

“Well, on that note… I said only that I had not caught  _ myself _ a new Pokemon,” Cheren said, going on one knee and presenting a pokeball. “Warren Arathos… would you like this Audino?”

 

“Ohmigod,  _ yes _ !” Warren screeched, scooping up the pokeball. “I’m gonna swoon,” he crooned like an old-timey romance movie character.”Catch me, my love!”

 

“They’re dorks,” Carlotta explained to Owain and Sherlock, who were staring somewhat as Warren hugged Cheren excitedly. “I know y’all can pick up battle commands if you hear ‘em often enough… wonder if y’all can pick up the word ‘dorks’ the same way.”

 

“Carly!” Bianca called, hurrying down the dirt path towards them, Tiberius and a pokeball cuddled in her arms. “Awww… am I the last one?”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 16 _ _ th _ _ , 09:09pm} _

_ {Striaton City} _

 

Key abruptly shoved a hand over her mouth to stifle a sharp burst of laughter, frantically scrambling to pause the broadcast.

 

“Sooo… what’s the joke and can you keep it below dying wailmer noises before you wake the kids up?” Blue asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the kids’ hotel room. 

 

“Y-yeah,” Key wheezed. “It’s just… oooh, it’s not even a joke, it’s not funny, it’s not. Well, it is a little. I mean, the way he  _ said _ it…”

 

“He doesn’t look like a joking kinda guy, despite the outfit,” Saylee said, gesturing to Ghetsis’ still image. “So what did he say? C’mon, the subtitles on this thing are  _ really  _ slow.”

 

“He just announced, with all the gravity of a man revealing a game-changing scientific discovery,” Key explained, giggling, “that humans and Pokemon are different.”

 

“Do you think he figured that out all by himself,” Red laughed as Key broke down in muffled laughter, “or did he need help?”

 

“Good grief,” Sayle sighed, propping her head up on her hand as she stared at what she could see of the crowd who had watched the rally live earlier that day. “The crowd’s certainly taking him seriously.”

 

“Well, he’s a charismatic speaker,” Blue said with a shrug. “Which probably means he’s an asshole.”

 

“Takes one to know one,” Red chuckled, just laughing harder when Blue gave him a look that  _ implied _ a middle finger that he was not going to actually give to a thirteen-year-old.

 

“I’m just wondering why this guy’s speeches are so popular when he has so little of worth to say,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “He’s prone to overgeneralization, and I personally don’t think somebody has the right to speak  _ for _ Pokemon without speaking  _ to _ Pokemon. I mean, you know what’s the easiest way to find out what Pokemon want and need? Ask  _ them _ !”

 

“For what it’s worth,” Janine said, opening the door from the balcony where she was sitting her watch, her Crobat fluttering in the air above her, “Plasma are actually on our watchlist. They’re not connected to any major incidents, but they do have a tendency towards extremist demonstrations. Setting a building on fire, throwing acid at trainers trying to go in and out of Pokemon Centres--no human deaths, but some members are doing time for violent crimes.”

 

“I don’t like it,” Saylee said, rubbing her forehead.

 

“Okay, Red, that makes it time for you to head for bed,” Blue said, shooting the teenager away. Red rolled his eyes, but went without a word of protest, eyes glued to the screen of his pokegear with clear intent to be on it for at least two more hours. “And  _ you _ ,” Blue continued, pressing his hands to Saylee’s head and miming pulling something out of her skull. “You are  _ not _ getting one of your bad feelings. I refuse. We’re on a diplomacy holiday. Moreover, this is not our country and these are not our problems”

 

“When has that ever made a difference?” Saylee murmured, glancing up at the roof where she knew that Koga was keeping watch with a minor god.

 

“You’ve got meetings pretty early tomorrow, so how about we catch some real news and then some sleep?” Key suggested, grabbing the remote to change channels. “If I have to look at that evil snuggie for a minute longer, I’m gonna go blind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren:  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta:  
> Owain the Oshawott  
> Name: Loyal. Species: Lillipup. Nature: Impish. Ability: Pickup. Caught: Route 1. Level: 2
> 
> Bianca:  
> Tiberius the Tepig  
> Name: Lilith. Species: Lillipup. Nature: Quirky. Ability: Pickup. Caught: Route 1. Level: 4
> 
> Cheren:  
> Sherlock the Snivy  
> Name: Poptart. Species: Patrat. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Runaway. Caught: Route 1. Level: 2  
> RIP Poptart the Patrat, level 2-6
> 
> Hokay, I’m at a place in my life where I feel comfortable making goal and like I won’t kill myself with self-loathing if I don’t always keep them, so currently I’m gonna shoot for biweekly Monday updates, alternating this fic with those DC fics I’ve been neglecting REALLY badly. Let’s see how that goes!
> 
> Is it obvious how PETA Plasma is yet? Though I have to confess, when I first heard of PETA as a militantly vegetarian young teenager, I was totally into them and the first few times I heard stories of them doing vile shit like poisoning dogs at a dog show, I thought that was just a few misguided assholes who weren’t representative of the movement or its goals as a whole. Man, I was a naive kid. The rights of animals to live comfortable, safe, happy lives are still important to me, but PETA are assholes who care more about shock value, making money and feeling self-important than actually helping animals. Plasma has slightly more sinister motives (though really, do we know for a FACT that PETA doesn’t have an underground castle or flying pirate ship from which they plan to dominate the world?), but I still want the PETA in their genetics to show through because they’re doing what PETA does; playing on people’s best intentions in dangerous, extremist, hypocritical ways. Also, they have no fucking CLUE how sheep-shearing works, to a hilariously tragic degree. 
> 
> Plus, y’know, I feel like this rhetoric is easily deflated when coming from people who can’t speak to Pokemon (aside from N) to people who can. You don’t help anybody by speaking over or for them instead of helping their voices be heard.


	4. The Dreamyard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids study, train, discover, rescue. Saylee swallows her frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 2 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 1  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 2 Deaths: 0

{ _ Reshin 16 _ _ th _ _ , 10:12pm} _

_ {Route 2} _

 

“Loyal,” Carlotta decided, watching her Lillipup playfully tackle Bianca’s to the ground. “That’s what I’m gonna call ‘im.”

 

“I like Lilith for mine,” Bianca said. “Lilith! Lilith, c’mere girl!” Her Lillipup looked up, perking up her ears. “See? She likes it, too!”

 

“She’s responding to her trainer’s voice, not the name,” Cheren pointed out. “Also… another Scriptural name? I thought you were trying to escape all that?”

 

“I still believe in the Dragons,” Bianca insisted. “I ain’t givin’ up my faith, I just don’t think two immortal an’ almighty dragons really  _ care _ what colour of clothes we’re wearin’. They’ve gotta have more important stuff on their minds. I mean, if they didn’t, we’d all be ash by now, right?”

 

“I can respect that,” Carlotta decided, beckoning for Loyal to come closer so she could scratch his ears and feed him some berries. Owain, Sherlock and Tiberius had already had theirs, and were all starting to doze off in their trainers’ laps. Angus, Warren’s new Audino, was humming contentedly to himself as he watched over the other Pokemon. 

 

“Looks like we’re gonna reach Striaton by lunchtime tomorrow,” Warren said, reading his map on his C-gear. “Just in time to get lunch at the famous Striaton Gym!”

 

“As in, the restaurant that is  _ extremely _ expensive unless we’re there for a gym battle?” Cheren pointed out. “It’s as well that we can’t afford to stay in hotels. Camping off the track makes us harder to find.”

 

“I’m sorry y’all’ve gotta hide out like this ‘cause of me,” Bianca said, hunching down a little. Lilith licked her trainer’s hand supportively. 

 

“C’mon, Bianca, we’re more’n happy to,” Warren pointed out. “Like Cheren said, it ain’t like we could afford to stay in hotels anyways. And it’s nice campin’ weather.”

 

“And we’d rather be out here with you than in some snobby hotel without you,” Carlotta said, giving Bianca a one-armed hug. 

 

Carlotta and Warren’s C-Gears suddenly rang. “Hey, Mom’s callin’,” Warren said, checking his and picking up the call. “Hi Mom!”

 

“Hi, Mom,” Carlotta said, joining in the call. 

 

“Hi, Auntie Steph,” Cheren put in, leaning in to see Warren’s screen instead of joining on his own C-Gear.

 

“Hi, Mrs Arathos,” Bianca said meekly to Carlotta’s.

 

“ _ Hi, kids! Nice to see the four of you are still runnin’ free! You caught many Pokemon yet? _ ” Stephanie Arathos asked, smiling.

 

“Bianca and I got Lillipups, and Cheren caught Warren his beloved Audino,” Carlotta reported.

 

“ _ That’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you all, _ ” her mother replied, pressing a hand to her chest. “ _ Goodness… when did my babies become grown-up trainers? _ ”

 

“ _ Mooom _ ,” Warren complained.

 

Stephanie chuckled. “ _ Well, I wanted to let my grown-up trainers know that I bought y’all some new shoes, in case your old ones wear out when you’re on the run! I’ve emailed you the deposit item link. Oh, and speakin’ of bein’ on the run… well, I understand why you couldn’t, but I almost wish y’all could’ve been here to see the  _ awful _ scene Bianca’s folks have been makin’. _ ”

 

“Oh, no,” Bianca said, putting her face in her hands. “They ain’t been botherin’ you, have they?”

 

“ _ Honey, they’ve been botherin’ me for years, _ ” Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. “ _ They did come knockin’ on my door--I was having Natsuko and Li Yong over for lunch at the time, actually, so they got to yell at all of us at once about our degenerate queer children kidnappin’ their daughter. _ ”

 

Bianca somehow managed to press her face even deeper into her hands. Cheren made a face. “I’d wager my parents were not entirely impressed with that display,” he muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose.

 

“ _ No, your mama beat me to the punch, quite literally, _ ” Stephanie said cheerfully. “ _ They tried lodgin’ complaint with your folks’ employer, but I guess Lady Caitlin didn’t like whatever she saw inside the D’Artagnan’s heads, ‘cause she dismissed the accusation and just asked Natsuko not to do it again, or at least not while she’s on the clock. _ ”

 

“She gets a little… protective,” Cheren said, trying not to smile.

 

“ _ Oh, I know, your folks are perfect professionals to people who ain’t insultin’ their baby boy. I just don’t know how they have the patience for it,”  _ Stephanie sighed. “ _ Anyway, Bianca, your folks  _ are  _ lookin’ for you, but I suggested that the Opelucid Gym was a common first stop for new trainers, so they should be lookin’ on the other side of the country right now. _ ”

 

Carlotta choked. “That gym’s infamous for  _ always _ being people’s eighth choice because nobody wants to fight  _ Drayden _ !” she laughed. “Mom, did I ever tell you you’re my idol?”

 

“ _ Of course I am, dear,” _ Stephanie said, starting to tie her hair up. “ _ I’d better go--I’m on the night shift tonight. Be careful and look after each other, okay? I love y’all kids--you know that, Cheren, but that extends to you, too, Bianca. Y’all’re always in my heart and thoughts.” _

 

_ “ _ Love you too, Mom,” Warren and Carlotta chorused. Stephanie blew them a kiss and hung up.

 

“Y’all’s mama’s so sweet,” Bianca sighed, picking up and cuddling Lilith, who sniffed at her trainer and licked her cheek.

 

“I always forget how scary your folks can be,” Warren said to Cheren. “They’ve always got that complete diplomatic chill.”

 

“And yet, if you break Cheren’s heart, they will  _ cut you down, _ ” Carlotta said brightly, reaching over to scratch Loyal’s belly. “ _ You _ are too gondamn cute to send into a fight,” she said accusingly. “We’ve gotta train and toughen you up.”

 

“The Dreamyard just outside Striaton is said to be good for that,” Cheren said, checking the time on his C-Gear. “We should have plenty of time to train tomorrow.”

 

“And that, children, means it’s time for bed,” Warren declared, reaching over to turn off the porta-stove that they were using for a fire. “I love bein’ able to sleep under the stars in summer,” he said softly as, from the sound of it, he let himself fall over backwards.

 

“Goodnight, everybody,” Cheren said, his glasses  _ clicking _ as he took them off and folded them up to be safely stowed away.

 

“Night,” Bianca said softly. Carlotta just curled up on her side, tucking her bag under her head and watching the dark shapes of their Lillipup as they settled down.

 

Lilith and Loyal wuffed and growled at each other for a while, with Angus occasionally cooing at them, but no matter how hard she listened, Carlotta couldn’t understand any of it.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 17 _ _ th _ _ , 11:07am} _

_ {Striaton City} _

 

“Guys, hold up!” Bianca yelled, hurrying after her friends as they made for Striaton City’’s Pokemon Centre. “I’m tryin’ to have a look at the cool buildin’s!”

 

“Cool…? Well, damn the dragons! I just realized!” Carlotta gasped, slapping the side of her head. “Bianca, ain’t you been to Striaton before?”

 

“You kiddin’ me? Aside from pilgrimages, which don’t go through here, I ain’t ever left Nuvema,” Bianca pointed out.

 

“Somehow, I already forgot what a terrifyingly deprived child you are,” Warren sighed, pulling off his baseball cap and using it to fan himself as he looked at the buildings around them. The days were getting hotter and hotter, and he’d already stripped off his hoodie and unzipped the calf parts of his trousers. “I mean, this is where we go to  _ school _ , this place is borin’ as hell to us. Cheren, you know everythin’, why don’t you give her the tour?”

 

“How come the buildin’s all look... I mean, they look pretty much the same as each other, but all that red brick and all the railin’s are so pretty!” Bianca asked, pointing at the buildings.

 

“These buildings actually date back to the Industrial Revolution, when most buildings in Unova were built in this style,” Cheren explained as Warren shooed them all on towards the Pokemon Centre. “This city was originally built for factory workers to live in. There are a few modern buildings, but most of this city is actually a World Heritage Site and any sort of modifications to the buildings need a  _ lot _ of approval. When the factory industry started to collapse after energy-to-matter creation became a profitable industry…”

 

“Y’know,” Carlotta laughed, watching a couple of younger kids come out of a cafe ahead of them with lunches in hand and schoolbags over their shoulders, “it’s kinda cool to be walkin’ around Striaton without bein’ here for class or summer camp…”

 

“I know, right?” Warren agreed, straightening his bag. “I’m gonna enjoy bein’ here without settin’ foot in the school buildin’.”

 

“It is right next to the Pokemon Centre, though,” Carlotta pointed out with a grin. “Are you scaaaaaared…?”

 

“ _ Petrified _ ,” Warren said sincerely. “Can we go literally anywhere else?”

 

“Ta-daaa,” Cheren said, waving his hands as they walked into the Pokemon Centre. “So, when the League was first formed, battles were held in the town square, but then in the nineteenth century due to public safety concern they started to be held out by the factories, now the Dreamyard, and then--”

 

“You get the cutest dopey look when he’s bein’ a gondamned encyclopedia,” Carlotta teased, nudging her brother. 

 

“You’re the… cutest… dopey… somethin’,” Warren grumbled, joining the queue at the counter. “Shut up and get your Pokemon ready to hand over.”

 

Carlotta picked Owain and Loyal’s pokeballs off of her belt, running her thumbs over the plain red surfaces. “Still don’t feel real,” she murmured with a grin. “We have  _ Pokemon _ , War!”

 

“I noticed,” he said, rolling his eyes but still wearing a grin as he cradled Angus’ pokeball. Ahead of them, Cheren was holding the pokeballs of Sherlock and the Purrloin that he’d caught on Route 2 while Bianca handed over Tiberius, Lilith and the Patrat she’d caught just before they reached Striaton. 

 

“You’ve got good timing,” the nurse said, swiping Bianca’s trainer card. “In about fifteen minutes, we’re going to start getting the lunchtime rush from the gym. Have you booked your battles yet?”

 

“Not yet,” Cheren said. “How long is the waitlist, usually?”

 

“It can be a few weeks, I’m afraid, but they have a drawing for a couple of same-day tables every morning at six, so if you’re willing to get up early you might get lucky,” the nurse said with a smile, handing back Bianca’s Pokemon and taking Cheren’s. 

 

“Nice,” Warren said, grinning. “We can hit the Dreamyard to train today and then get up in the mornin’ to join the drawin’, how ‘bout it?”

 

“I feel like we should book gym battles anyway,” Cheren suggested, “just in case we never get lucky on the drawing.”

 

“Luckiest bitch around, remember?” Carlotta said, gesturing to herself and ignoring the nurse’s frown. 

 

“The drawing’ll be mobbed tomorrow,” the nurse warned, returning Cheren’s Pokemon and accepting Carlotta’s. “The Tohjo Champion’s eating at the gym tomorrow. Not battling, just having dinner with the Hoenn Ambassador’s family and getting her first up-close look at an Unovan gym battle. They’re all supposed to be quite exceptional trainers, so I’m sure lots of people will be wanting to show off what Unovan trainers can do!”

 

Cheren smiled and thanked her for the information, but as he walked away from the counter he leaned over to Warren and muttered, “I’m not sure the Champions of two Leagues are going to be particularly impressed by scraps between Lillipup.”

 

“Then how ‘bout we go to the Dreamyard and find us somethin’ cooler?” Warren suggested with a grin. 

 

{ _ Reshin 17 _ _ th _ _ , 11:58am} _

_ {Striaton City} _

 

“This place is creepy,” Bianca muttered, huddling close to Carlotta as they walked through the gates of the Dreamyard after showing their trainer IDs to the security guard. The difference between the lovingly cared-for historical buildings of the city and the rot of the Dreamyard was stark. The warehouses and factory buildings that loomed up over them were just as old as the red brick houses of the city, but they had been neither protected nor restored, and were instead crumbling husks with weeds and overlong grass bursting from every crack. 

 

“Is everybody up to date on their shots?” Warren said, wrinkling his nose as he looked around. Then he looked back at Bianca. “Wait, remind me. Are your folks some of the ones who think vaccines make the body ‘impure’?”

 

“Nah, I’m good,” Bianca promised, flexing her arm and patting the spot where vaccines were usually injected. “I mean, there are some folks who think that way, but it ain’t doctrine. ‘Sides, y’know it’s actually illegal to miss your vaccines ‘less you’re allergic to ‘em? Child services threatened to take away a kid from our church ‘til his parents caved an’ got ‘im some shots. They’re free anyways. Don’t see the fuss.” 

 

“Despite its state, this place is actually very closely monitored by the Trainers’ Association,” Cheren assured them. “They occasionally come knock down walls or floors that have become too structurally unsound--as long as trainers don’t do it first, anyway. It’s already a ruin, so they don’t care what Pokemon do to it while training.”

 

“It’s been a ruin for a long damn time, though,” Carlotta pointed out. “When does a thing get old enough that UNESCO steps in and starts protectin’ it?”

 

“They protect sites of historical and cultural importance, not just old places,” Cheren pointed out. “This area was just one part of a long belt of factories that were, when all’s said and done, not that important. There’s a series of preserved factories-through-the-ages near Nacrene, but the rest of it’s not of value to anybody.”

 

“A worthless old dump… of course they left it for trainers,” Warren muttered, kicking a bit of stone.

 

“Ain’t there anywhere  _ nice _ ta train?” Bianca muttered, huddling even closer to Carlotta as they passed a couple of people fighting with Watchogs. The tall rodent Pokemon were snarling terribly at each other as they fought.

 

“Not ‘round here,” Carlotta said, shaking her head and patting Bianca’s arm. “Not for trainers at our level, anyway. You have to get quite a buncha badges to be seen as a professional ‘stead of somebody avoidin’ a real job.”

 

“Being a trainer  _ isn’t _ considered a real job, not one you can make a living from,” Cheren grumbled. “The Striaton Triplets aren’t just running a restaurant for fun--even as Gym Leaders, the League only covers expenses, it doesn’t pay much. I suppose their restaurant does benefit from the public exposure of being Leaders…”

 

“Worry ‘bout it when you become the president, Cheren,” Carlotta said, clapping her hands. “Enough! We’re here to train, we’re here to get us some new Pokemon, and we’re here to have  _ fun _ ! Let’s do this! What kinda wild Pokemon do they have ‘round here anyways?”

 

“Patrat and Purrloin, mostly, but you can get a Munna if you’re very lucky,” Cheren rattled off. “Do we want to train first, or go find new catches?”

 

“Maybe we should train first?” Bianca suggested shyly. “‘Cause, y’know, we wanna make sure we’re strong enough to protect ourselves from the wild Pokemon ‘round here, right?”

 

“I’ll protect you, Bianca,” Carlotta promised, patting her best friend’s cheek, “but you’re right. Fight me, Cheren!”

 

“Bring it on,” Cheren said, pointing to the front of one of the warehouses. “Let’s see if there’s space to fight in there where we won’t get mixed up in anybody else’s fight.”

 

“Before we walk in there, I wanna make a group pact that if we hear any noises, we don’t go investigate and we do  _ not  _ split up, we leave that horror movie  _ immediately _ ,” Warren insisted as they cautiously pushed open the warehouse door.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 17 _ _ th _ _ , 17:31pm} _

_ {Striaton City} _

 

“Opponents are chosen by the three leaders themselves,” Warren read aloud from the latest edition of  _ So You Want To Be A Trainer _ . “For those with fewer than four badges, they aim to give the challenger an advantage to promote a positive experience in a young trainer’s early gyms. Due to its proximity to the region’s premier Trainers’ School, many aspirin’ champions’ first gym is Striaton.”

 

He, Cheren and Carlotta had already learned all the gyms backwards and forwards, but Bianca’s knowledge of the League was still often patchy, so a bit of revision wasn’t a bad idea. “So it’ll be easy?” Bianca said hopefully, checking Packard’s teeth. He snapped at her fingers, causing her to draw her fingers back quickly.

 

“Not easy, nah,” Carlotta said, glancing up from Priscilla and Owain, who were growling at each other, awaiting further commands from their trainers. She grabbed Bianca’s hand, checking to see if Packard had bit her. “I don’t think he got your fingers, I don’t see any bite marks. Anyways, you’ll have an advantage, so long as you remember your type strengths and weaknesses.” She pointed at Tiberius. Owain looked around, then took a stance facing Tiberius, while Priscilla yawned and curled up. “So, he’s a fire type, right? What’s he strong against?”

 

“Oooh, ooh, I know this! Okay… grass…” Bianca said, counting on her fingers. “...Bugs… steel… and, um… there’s one more, right…?”

 

“Ice,” Cheren offered after a moment. “Three out of four’s good, and you won’t see ice-types around here anyway. The Striaton leaders use fire, grass, and water. So, if you’re to have the advantage, which will you be facing?”

 

“Grass, right?” Bianca said hopefully.

 

“Bingo! None of us have badges, so you’ll get Cilan,” Carlotta said, high-fiving Bianca proudly. “Oh, hey, Owain, tackle Priscilla!” Owain looked around in surprise, then charged Priscilla.

 

“Their first-timer teams are always a Lillipup and a Pan-somethin’,” Warren continued. “Now, for Lillipup…” He gestured to Loyal and Lilith, play-fighting in a yipping heap. “What’s good on them?”

 

“Errr… fightin’-types, and… ummm…” Bianca said, frowning thoughtfully at the two Lillipup.

 

“That’s all, actually,” Cheren said. “Well done. Priscilla, use Fury Swipes! Now, we don’t have any fighting-types, so our best bet may be to simply brute-force our way through.”

 

“You think he’s close to evolvin’?” Carlotta mused as Owain knocked Priscilla through a door that was hanging off of its hinges, sending the rusted metal crashing to the ground. The Purrloin yowled unhappily as she lay in a heap on the wrecked door. To Cheren’s frustration, Priscilla was  _ not  _ an enthusiastic fighter, tending towards weak attacks and giving up quickly when injured. So did Lilith--though she was enthusiastic at first, she never attacked very hard and would back out quickly if she got hurt. Loyal, Packard and Owain were all more aggressive fighters, as were Sherlock and Tiberius, though Tiberius clearly preferred cuddles, jumping into Bianca’s arms as soon as he’d won a battle. 

 

“If anybody’s evolvin’ first, it’s definitely Owain,” Warren said, releasing his Audino. “Heal Pulse, Angus,” he ordered, pointing at Priscilla. 

 

Angus glowed, sending a soft beam of light at the collapsed Purrloin that made her bruises disappear and her eyes flicker open as she slowly stood up. Then Angus stopped abruptly, stepping through the now-empty doorway and looking around with his ears fluttering and a frown on his face. He chirruped something and Priscilla mewled a reply, sniffing the air, her ears and whiskers twitching.

 

“Somethin’ up?” Warren asked in concern. Angus looked at him, then looked around, calling out loudly. Packard looked sharply in the direction that Angus was looking, chittering frantically. Loyal and Lilith paused and perked their ears up at the sound of Angus’ call. The two sniffed the air, then took off, barking loudly.

 

“Lilith! Lilith, come back!” Bianca yelled, running after her Lillipup with Tiberius clutched in her arms.

 

“Bianca! Loyal! Dammit, Loyal, live up to your name!” Carlotta yelled, scooping up Owain and running after them.

 

“Guys, this is exactly what we swore  _ not _ to do!”  Warren yelled, returning Angus and chasing after them, further into the dilapidated factory that they’d moved to after an over-aggressive trainer with an overpowered Braviary, likely on his sixth or seventh badge, had knocked in a wall of the warehouse they’d started in.

 

Loyal and Lilith’s barking abruptly increased in volume, joined by a chorus of yowling from Priscilla. Sherlock, Owain and Tiberius all looked up sharply, and Sherlock started hissing, pointing his nose directly in the direction that their Pokemon had gone.

 

“They seem… unhappy,” Bianca said, cuddling Tiberius as he squeaked frantically, his nose twitching, nearly falling out of her arms as he leaned in the direction that he wanted her to go. Owain actually managed to get out of Carlotta’s arms, running at full speed ahead of the humans. 

 

“There,” Warren said, spotting the Pokemon crowded around the remains of a rotted old cupboard. 

 

“Do you hear that?” Cheren said as they approached the cupboard. “What’s that sound?”

 

“More Pokemon?” Carlotta said curiously, leaning over to open the dangling cupboard door a little more to get a look inside.

 

Inside was a cardboard box, and inside were three small, weakly chirping Pokemon, one blue, one red, one green. They were immediately recognizable to Carlotta, Warren and Cheren, who’d seen the species before. The Striaton leaders came to the Trainers’ School a few times a year for workshops or lessons on the Unova League, always bringing their signature Pokemon. “A Pansage, Panpour and Pansear!” Cheren said in surprise, starting to crouch down and reach out to the tiny, colourful Pokemon. Lilith and Loyal both growled, their hackles rising, Packard snapped, and even Priscilla hissed at her trainer, her fur rising and her back arching. “Okay then,” Cheren said, quickly withdrawing his hand. 

 

“Hey! Don’t bark at Cheren!” Bianca admonished Lilith with a frown. “Maybe we should return ‘em if they’re gonna misbehave...”

 

“I think they’re just tryin’ to protect these little guys,” Warren said, watching Angus use a Heal Pulse on the three small Pokemon in the box. “They’re injured… I guess they’ve been abandoned.”

 

“We should probably take ‘em to the Pokemon Centre, then,” Carlotta suggested, reaching towards the box again, bringing up another round of snarling and hissing. “Okay, look, I’m not gonna hurt ‘em, so you’ve gotta let me pick up the box,” she said, putting her hands on her hips and scowling at the Pokemon. The three in the box just whimpered, huddling close together as if trying to hide beneath each other.

 

“These Pokemon were probably hurt by the trainers or breeders that abandoned them--they can’t understand that we have good intentions,” Cheren pointed out, returning Sherlock and Priscilla. “We’ll need to return our Pokemon to move them.”

 

“Don’t worry, guys, they’re going to be okay,” Carlotta promised, returning Owain and Loyal while Bianca returned Tiberius, Packard and Lilith. 

 

Warren returned Angus, then reached out to pick up the box. The Pansear screeched in fright and spat embers at him, burning his hand. “Ow!” Warren yelped, yanking his hand back and cradling it against his chest.

 

“Warren!” Cheren gasped, hurrying over to check Warren’s hand. “You’re going to have to get that checked out at the hospital,” he said, examining the burn.

 

“It’s only first-degree,” Warren assured him, “it just  _ hurts _ like a bitch.”

 

“Hey! We’re tryin’ to  _ help _ you!” Carlotta yelled at the box. The three Pokemon inside just shrank back more.

 

“Carly, they’re just scared!” Bianca insisted, stepping between her best friend and the box. “We gotta figure out a way to move ‘em without scarin’ ‘em anymore!”

 

“We could catch them,” Cheren suggested, setting down his backpack and pulling out three pokeballs. “Then we can move them to the Pokemon Centre and they won’t even be aware of it.”

 

“Best plan we’ve got,” Carlotta agreed, watching Cheren capture the three Pokemon. “Y’all take those to the Pokemon Centre, I’ll take Warren to the hospital to get that hand looked at.”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 17 _ _ th _ _ , 18:35pm} _

_ {Striaton City} _

 

“Success?” Blue asked, straightening up as Koga let Key and Saylee into the hotel suite. “Or at least, a reasonably minimal level of obnoxiousness?”

 

“There wasn’t a lot of obnoxiousness, no, but passive-aggressiveness was off the  _ charts _ ,” Saylee sighed, setting her bag down on the floor by the door, unclipping her necklace and pokegear to set on the table, and carefully toeing off her shoes before calmly walking over and collapsing face-first on the couch next to Red, who sighed and patted her back without looking up from whatever he was reading on his Poketch. 

 

Key didn’t even bother with carefully removing her jewellery or coat, simply walked over and sat down on the floor next to where the three younger children were teaching Meloetta how to play Snap. Amber leaned over and patted her mother’s ankle. “Are the Unovans being silly again, Mommy?” she said sagely.

 

“Yes, sweetie,” Key sighed, leaning over and kissing her daughter’s head, then her son’s. “Did you have a nice dinner?”

 

“Uncle Blue got us hamburgers!” Raphael said excitedly.

 

“This is a  _ very _ fancy hotel,” Blue said, walking away from the younger kids to sit on the floor next to Saylee and stroke her hair. “The hamburgers have sprigs of parsley on top. So, on a scale from Wallace to Clair, what shade of annoying is the Governor?”

 

“She’s not a fan,” Saylee said bluntly, turning her head so she could speak without being muffled by a pillow. “She made some implications about what can be inferred about people in Kanto based on ‘a mere Pokemon’ beating them to public office. I did not appreciate those implications, and told her so. She did not appreciate me not appreciating those implications. Ad infinatum.”

 

“Rude,” Red commented, scowling at his Poketch. 

 

“That sounds confusing and mean,” Scarlet commented. “Do you want a hamburger, Mummy?”

 

“It’s okay, honey, I already ate,” Saylee said, smiling tiredly at her daughter, “but thank you. How did you like the gardens?”

 

“We got lost in the maze!” Raphael said excitedly. “Then we talked to some Pidove an’ they told us all about the forest, but the guide lady didn’t like us talkin’ to Pokemon so she showed us some bushes that look like Pokemon instead. They  _ didn’t _ talk.”

 

“Well, except for that mushroom that turned out to be a Pokemon,” Red added. 

 

“We drew pictures!” Amber cried, hopping to her feet and running over to the coffee table across the room, between another couch and a television, to fetch a mass of crayon drawings. 

 

“By the way, Janine,” Saylee said as the kids tried to arrange whose drawings were whose and Meloetta examined the artwork of a king on one of the playing cards, “where did you go while we were arguing about a Pokemon’s capability to do the governor's job? You vanished a little more than usual…”

 

“I left Shi Maria keeping watch,” Janine said, tapping her Ariados’ pokeball. “I had to have a look around. There was somebody following us… somebody well-trained in stealth.”

 

“They eluded you,” Koga said, narrowing his eyes.

 

Janine bowed her head. “Forgive me,” she said, looking ashamed. “I don’t know how they managed to vanish, but they did. I searched for them, but I could find no trace. But they  _ were _ there, watching us, of that I am certain.”

 

“I trust your instincts, Janine,” Saylee said with a nod. “Whoever it is, I’m sure they’ll be back. You’ll get them next time.”

 

“Thank you for your faith in me,” Janine said formally, bowing, before straightening up with a smile. “I  _ refuse _ to be out-ninja’d by an  _ Unovan _ .”

 

“Uh-oh,” Blue said with a grin. “Somebody’s thrown down a challenge they’re going to  _ regret _ . Hey, you’ve gotta check out the one of the red flowers,” he added as Scarlet approached with her drawings. “Remember what they were called, Lettie?”

 

“Scarlet Carsons! They’re  _ my _ flower!” Scarlet said delightedly, climbing into her mother’s lap with a sheaf of drawings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Scarlet Carson isn’t actually a real rose, it was made up for V For Vendetta, but the name was perfect. 
> 
> I know that ingame you get the Striaton Leader who has an advantage over you, not vice-versa, I just jiggered it slightly for worldbuilding purposes. 
> 
>  
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Oshawott, Loyal the Lillipup
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Lilith the Lillipup,  
> Name: Packard. Species: Watchog. Nature: Docile. Ability: Run Away. Location: Route 2. Level: 4
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Snivy  
> Name: Priscilla. Species: Purrloin. Nature: Rash. Ability: Limber. Location: Route 2. Level: 3


	5. Striaton City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang get ready for their first gym battle and have some unexpected encounters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 1  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 0

{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 05:58am} _

_ {Striaton City} _

 

“That looks like  _ painful _ ,” Warren said sympathetically as he and Carlotta rejoined the line, both clutching coffee, just in time to see Cheren give them a jaw-cracking yawn.

 

“Wow, Gulpin are super rare ‘round here… anybody got a Great Ball?” Carlotta joked, giving Bianca her coffee. 

 

Cheren mumbled something incomprehensible as he clutched the coffee that Warren handed him, leaning against his boyfriend’s arm as he drank deeply. 

 

“It’s garbage coffee, but it’s hot, cheap an’  _ here _ ,” Warren said, sipping his drink and checking the time on his C-Gear. “Damn… just in time.”

 

“They’re openin’ the door!” Bianca gasped, pointing and bouncing on the spot as three young men in waiters’ uniforms stepped out. They weren’t the distinctive triplet Leaders, merely restaurant employees, but they were the focus of  _ hundreds _ of rapt gazes as they set up a lottery table. A bucket was sitting on the table, its contents indiscernible, and one of the waiters started walking down the line while the other two remained and the table and started inviting trainers forwards. 

 

“Normally we take everybody’s trainer ID numbers and draw from those, but we clearly have too many entering the lottery today,” he explained as he walked down the line. “We are drawing for nine battles. Please take one plastic egg from the basket and open it to see if you have a winning ticket. Once we have drawn all nine, the lottery will close. Thank you for your understanding.”

 

“Oh, no… there’s  _ so many _ ,” Bianca whispered, clutching her coffee nervously. 

 

“Yeah, but we’re close to the front thanks to our team campin’ strategy,” Warren said, high-fiving his sister. 

 

“‘Scuse me,” Carlotta said, flagging down the passing waiter. “Three of us are here for battles together--can we draw once for three battles?”

 

“You’ll have to ask Maxwell--he’s the head waiter, the one sitting behind the table,” the waiter explained. “I don’t see why not, but he’ll probably only let you draw once.”

 

“Luckiest bitch,” Carlotta promised her friends with a grin.

 

“I’m not sure that it gives us better odds, but it  _ does _ ensure that if we win, we’ll all get to fight on the same day,” Cheren allowed, visibly looking more alive the more coffee he drank. 

 

“We’ve  _ gotta _ fight together,” Bianca agreed. “Oooh, what if we win? We’ll be fightin’ in front of the  _ Governor _ , and… and…” Bianca abruptly paled. “Do you… do you think reporters’ll be there?” she whispered.

 

“Maybe,” Warren allowed, “but don’t worry. Your folks can’t do anythin’ even if they  _ do _ find you, and we’ll be here to support you if they do.”

 

“Most of the reporters’ll probably be from the League networks, so your folks won’t see anythin’ unless they decide to get sports channels,” Carlotta added comfortingly. 

 

“Besides, I’m not sure there’s going to be that much focus on  _ who’s _ fighting in front of Sar Pryce,” Cheren commented, pressing some buttons on his C-Gear. “Apparently her meeting with the Governor yesterday… did not go well, at least going by the ‘press statement’ Governor Christie ranted afterwards.”

 

“Oh, damn, what shit’s she on now?” Warren said, peering at Cheren’s C-Gear screen. “Blah, blah… ‘primitive, superstitious nation’, wow, rude… okay, makin’ a Pokemon a governor or whatever they call it there is  _ weird _ , but…”

 

“Wait, for real? A governor Pokemon?” Carlotta asked curiously. 

 

“It’s a purely symbolic position over a grave town with almost no living population,” Cheren said, rolling his eyes. “Like that Purrloin who’s a ‘stationmaster’ in Nimbasa. There must be some religious significance to it, since from the looks of it Sar Pryce released a statement about ten minutes later expressing how unhappy she is with the Governor mocking the whole thing. Well, that diplomatic tour’s starting out well.”

 

“Honestly, I could probably go dig up a Stunfisk that could write better school reform than Governor Christie,” Carlotta said thoughtfully. “We sure graduated  _ just _ in time.”

 

“The governor’s been speakin’ out a lot ‘gainst the Plasma Foundation, and a Pokemon as a politician is  _ exactly _ the kinda wild shit Plasma Foundation would suggest,” Warren opined.

 

“Yeah, but if it’s a religious thing, not a joke, the governor oughta be more respectful,” Bianca said with a frown. 

 

“The problem with the Fairlands is that their religious beliefs heavily influence their government,” Cheren sighed. “They’re right up there with Alola in pushing embargoes on countries that don’t sign the UN Convention on Pokemon Rights, even though the UN itself isn’t even doing that yet. All because they believe in communicating with Pokemon as if they’re human.”

 

“Basically, they’re a whole… a  _ bunch _ of whole countries of weirdoes like that N guy?” Carlotta asked. “I mean, I always put Lady Caitlin bein’ pretty weird down to her bein’ psychic, but you’re sayin’ they’re  _ all _ like that?”

 

“Yeah, but… wouldn’t it be nice to be able to talk to Pokemon?” Bianca sighed. “We’d be able to tell those Pokemon that we weren’t gonna hurt ‘em…” They’d taken the Panpour, Pansage and Pansear that they’d found to the Pokemon Centre for healing, and had gotten directions to a Plasma Foundation-funded shelter for abused Pokemon that they could take the three obviously abused Pokemon to once it opened later in the morning. The three had had to be kept in their pokeballs the whole time, panicking violently when they were let out.

 

“Pokemon ain’t exactly people, but they can be pretty smart,” Warren said, leaning up on his toes to peer over the heads of those in the line ahead of them. “We’re close… we’re definitely gonna get to draw, at least. Are we just gonna let Carly do it?”

 

“Luck isn’t actually a real concept so it won’t matter anyway,” Cheren pointed out. 

 

“Have faith, Cher,” Carlotta said, patting him on the shoulder. “And get pumped, ‘cause by the end of the day we’re gonna have our first badges!”

 

“Ooooh… I can’t wait!” Bianca squeaked, starting to bounce on her toes again as she clutched Carlotta’s arm. “I hope they let us draw soon… I can’t handle this!”

 

“Next!” the waiter standing in front of the table called, gesturing them forwards. “You’re all together?”

 

“Only three of us are drawing for a battle,” Cheren explained, looking from him to the head water behind the table. “Are we allowed to draw once for all three of us? We’re good friends and we’d like to have our battles together, if we could.”

 

“Hmmm… well, we do usually allow trainers the opportunity to fight alongside their friends, but these battles are in  _ high _ demand,” he said, nodding at the line behind them. “You get  _ one _ draw, understand?”

 

“Go, Carly, go!” Bianca chanted as Carlotta mimed rolling up her sleeves--”You’re wearing a  _ tank top _ ,” Cheren muttered--and rubbed her hands together.

 

“Here we go,” she said, plunging her hand into the bowl up to the elbow and yanking out an egg in a single motion. “C’mon… c’mon…  _ c’mon _ …” she muttered as she twisted the egg open, inhaling sharply as a small gold slip fell out.

 

“And that’s a winner!” the head waiter declared, to a mixture of cheering and swearing from the trainers queued behind them. Bianca screamed wordlessly and hugged Carlotta in delight while Warren punched the air, hugging Cheren with his other arm.

 

“Luckiest. Bitch. In. UNOVA!” Carlotta declared, picking up Bianca and swinging her around.  

 

“Should I put that down as your name, or do you have trainer cards?” the head waiter said dryly, prompting Carlotta, Cheren and Bianca to sheepishly dig for their ID cards. “You’re in the 7:00pm slot. Please arrive no later than 5:30pm so we can show you to your table, get you through security--it’ll be quite stringent tonight, of course--and give you time to order. Do not move from the table unless you require the restroom, which you will be guided to by a staff member, or it’s time for your battle. You’ll have time for your entree before your battles, which will take place between the entrees and first course. Please do not attempt to approach Governor Christie or Sar Pryce’s tables--”

 

“Not eating together anymore, eh?” Cheren commented. 

 

The waiter’s face remained professionally impassive. “They will both be eating with their families, and again, I must stress, do  _ not _ approach their tables,” he said. “Remain at your own until called. I see from your trainer cards that this is your first badge for each of you. Are you aware of the rules for gym battling?”

 

“We are all well aware,” Cheren promised.

 

“Then best of luck,” the waiter said, handing back their cards. “Next!”

 

“So are we going back to bed, or are we trainin’?” Warren asked as they moved out of the way of the next trainer in line.

 

“ _ You _ can go back to bed, but  _ we _ are--” Cheren checked his watch. “--twelve and a half hours away from our first gym battles, and we need to be back here in eleven hours.  _ We _ are  _ training _ .”

 

“Train, come in to visit the shelter when it opens at nine, then train some more,” Carlotta decided. “C’mon, it’s ass o’clock in the mornin’, the Dreamyard’ll be practically empty!”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 06:47am} _

_ {The Dreamyard} _

 

The Dreamyard wasn’t  _ empty _ \--it was open 24 hours, and there were already quite a few trainers around, either people who’d been ahead of them in the line for the drawing or had decided not to try it. 

 

“Hey, were you at the drawing?” an athletic-looking guy with messy black hair called, waving at them. 

 

“We won! We’re battlin’ at seven!” Carlotta said proudly. “Were you?”

 

“I’m battling at nine, but I booked my battle months ago, so I didn’t go to the drawing,” the guy said with a smirk. “Congratulations, though! Care to train? They could do with somebody new to battle against.”

 

“Is… that a Garchomp?” Cheren said, gesturing to the tall, pointy, purple Pokemon that was grappling with a skinny red one that had huge claws. “And a  _ Scizor _ ? None of us have any badges yet, I’m afraid. You may be somewhat above our level.”

 

“For  _ now _ ,” Carlotta said threateningly. “I’ll catch up and kick your ass someday, dude. Carlotta Arathos. Remember the name. And Cheren and Bianca too, if you want,” she added, gesturing to her friends. 

 

“Drake Zychsbane, and this will be my sixth, so… yeah, that’s a mismatch. Shame,” he said, shaking his head. “Best of luck, Carlotta Arathos and friends. Did you just get here today, or were you particularly hoping to battle in front of  _ Pryce-dono _ ?”

 

“We just started yesterday, but--sorry, are you from there?” Cheren asked. “Was that Fairlan you just spoke?”

 

“Eh, I was born in Sinnoh. Haven’t seen the place since I was a baby, but you know how parents are about learning the language,” Drake said. Cheren nodded. Drake yelled something in Fairlan at his Pokemon, causing them to break apart the Scizor to fly up in the air while the Garchomp spat balls of blue fire at it. “ _ Pryce-dono _ was probably the strongest trainer in the whole Fairlands at her peak, and her husband’s still one of the strongest Leaders to fight. Might take that challenge one day, after I’ve beat the Unova League. It’s a lot harsher, I hear. Even if it’s just your first badge, put up a good fight, okay? And hey,” he added, “don’t let anybody tell you that being harsh on your Pokemon makes them stronger. You get more out of ‘em if you treat ‘em well.” He gestured to his Garchomp. “Take it from me.”

 

“Thank you for the advice,” Cheren said with a nod. “Come on--we’d better stake out a good training spot.”

 

“Haven’t seen anybody head into the warehouse yard this morning,” Drake said, pointing at the hulking warehouses. “The one that’s completely collapsed is a good open space, if that’s what you’re after.”

 

“Thank you very much!” Bianca said brightly. “I hope the Dragons smile on your battle!”

 

“Good luck, and thanks,” Warren said. Drake waved, but didn’t look away from the intent watch he was keeping on his Scizor as it dodged blue fire in midair.

 

As Drake had promised, the rotting warehouses were empty and quiet, with no other trainers in sight. “You know, as small and young as our Pokemon are, I am not sure that we  _ need _ much space…” Cheren began.

 

“No, but let’s take it anyway, because we  _ can _ ,” Carlotta insisted, grabbing him and Bianca each by the wrist and tugging them towards the collapsed building at the end.

 

“Actually, I think somebody’s already there…” Warren said as the sound of voices drifted towards them, accompanied by a high shriek of pain.

 

“Sounds like they might need healin’,” Bianca said nervously. “Warren, you an’ Angus oughta go help!”

 

“Good idea,” Warren said, running on ahead. “Hey!” he called. “‘Scuse me, are you… okay…?” 

 

“War? What’s wrong?” Cheren shouted, also breaking into a run as Warren trailed off, staring wide-eyed. Carlotta and Bianca took off after him, rounding the last intact warehouse to get a look at what was going on.

 

Warren was frozen, staring at two people, a man and a woman, both in head-to-toe Team Plasma uniforms. The man was resting his boot on a small, round, pink Pokemon that was lying in a whimpering heap on the ground.

 

“...Hey, fellas?” Carlotta said with a frown. “A Pokemon battle involves  _ two Pokemon _ .”

 

“It looks really hurt,” Bianca added. “I think it’s done fightin’. Shouldn’t you heal it?”

 

“My friends both have good points, but I would also like to ask: Team Plasma make a great deal of noise about being  _ against _ Pokemon battling, and indeed any form of cruelty to Pokemon,” Cheren added, “so… I am trying to find a way to phrase this…”

 

“The question you’re lookin’ for is  _ what the fuck _ ,” Carlotta suggested. 

 

“None of your business, kids,” the woman snapped. “We’ll be done in a minute, anyway, so go away and leave us alone, got it?”

 

“Just hurry up and give us the dream smoke,” the man muttered, kicking the little Pokemon again, making it cry out in pain.

 

“Hey! Stop it!” Bianca screamed. “You’re hurtin’ it  _ really badly _ ! We’ve gotta stop ‘em!” she begged, tugging Carlotta’s arm.

 

“I agree,” Cheren said, releasing Sherlock. “Munna are endangered. Leave it alone,  _ now _ .”

 

“What part of  _ back off _ don’t you kids get?” the man demanded, releasing a Patrat. The woman released a Purrloin.

 

“Oh, c’mon, two on one ain’t fair at all!” Carlotta argued, releasing Owain. “Water Gun, Owain!”

 

The tiny Oshawott bounced enthusiastically in place before shooting off a jet of water that knocked the Patrat backwards. It snarled as it crouched in place, eyes glowing.

 

“It’s using Bide! Ignore the Purrloin and take it out!” Cheren shouted. “Leaf Tornado!”

 

“Scratch!” the woman shouted. Sherlock winced but kept his focus on firing a whirlwind of leaves at the Patrat.

 

“Tackle, Owain!” Carlotta ordered. The Oshawott slammed into the Patrat, which collapsed, unconscious. Owain stumbled as the Purrloin scratched at him, knocking him over the exhausted Patrat.

 

“Wrap, Sherlock!” Cheren shouted. The Snivy wrapped his long body around the Purrloin, making it spit and hiss as it fought to move.

 

“Finish it with another Water Gun!” Carlotta ordered, pointing at the entrapped Purrloin. The water attack splashed off of Sherlock’s leaves harmlessly, but slammed into the Purrloin which, not being knocked back, had to endure the full force of the blast. With a pitiful mewl, it slumped in Sherlock’s embrace.

 

_ “ _ Now, then,” Carlotta said, stomping towards the two Plasma members. “Y’all wanna fight somebody yourselves, how ‘bout you pick on somebody your own size?”

 

“Okay, little girl, you asked for it--” the man began, reaching down towards his belt. 

 

The two Plasma members froze as pink mist descended on them, pained expressions overtaking their faces before they slammed their hands over their ears and dropped to their knees, screaming in agony.

 

“I didn’t touch ‘em!” Carlotta cried, jumping backwards with her hands in the air. The two Plasma members scrambled backwards, starting to babble.

 

“--didn’t tell them anything, My Lord, would  _ never _ \--”

 

“--please don’t, please, I’ll do better, I swear I will--”

 

“--just  _ one _ more chance,  _ please _ \--”

 

“-- _ please _ , I’m  _ begging _ you--”

 

“--don’t,  _ please _ don’t--”

 

“-- _ please _ \--!”

 

Screaming, the two scrambled to their feet and fled, leaving their defeated Pokemon behind. 

 

“Cher?” Warren said, staring. “You know everythin’. What in the  _ hell _ just happened?”

 

“I think it was that,” Cheren said, pointing up to the remains of the upper level. They all looked up to see a shape like a great pink-and-purple balloon slowly descending towards them.

 

“Oh, it’s so  _ pretty _ ,” Bianca cooed softly.

 

“Musharna,” Cheren muttered. “Mature form of Munna. It can devour people’s dreams, and give dreams using its smoke. Perhaps… it fed them a nightmare.”

 

“Defending its young?” Warren suggested as the Musharna floated down to the Munna, uncurling from its large, globular shape to envelop the smaller Pokemon and float away again.

 

“Gondammit!” Carlotta realized, throwing up her hands. “We had a shot at gettin’ us some real rare Pokemon there!”

 

“C’mon, Carly, the baby was real hurt,” Bianca said with a frown. “‘Least its mama’ll take good care of it now.”

 

“It was hurt pretty darn bad, though,” Warren mused. “Might’ve done better if we took it to a Pokemon Centre, but ‘less we wanna track it down, ain’t much we can do ‘bout it now.”

 

“I wonder what on earth those Plasma members wanted with that poor thing,” Cheren sighed. “I have to admit, I’m not altogether comfortable with taking those abused Pokemon that we found to a Plasma shelter now. What if those reprobates are working there?”

 

“Well, can’t we tell the cops ‘bout ‘em?” Bianca asked. 

 

“If fightin’ wild Pokemon was a crime, we’d all go to jail,” Carlotta pointed out. 

 

“ _ Killin’ _ an endangered species is a crime, sure, but we don’t have that Munna, dead or alive,” Warren groaned, looking up to where the Musharna had vanished, then going to check on the Patrat and Purrloin that the two Plasma members had abandoned.

 

“I suppose we could just keep them Pans…” Carlotta mused. “If we could get ‘em comfortable with us, they’d be real handy in the gym battles tonight, wouldn’t they?”

 

“It’s not that easy to befriend abused Pokemon,” Cheren sighed. 

 

“We should at least take these ones to the Pokemon Centre,” Warren said, standing up with the Patrat and Purrloin in his arms. “Maybe they can tell us about somewhere other than the Plasma shelter to take them.”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 5:15pm _ }

{ _ Striaton City _ }

  
  


“Have you seen an Unovan gym battle before?” Saylee asked.

 

“Try to talk without moving your face,” Key said, wielding the mascara brush  _ very _ carefully. “And not live. They broadcast them sometimes, if the trainer or their guardian has consented to it, and I have watched a few, but I don’t think what you can see on TV is a great sample, honestly. They broadcast uncontroversial fights, the sort without any disputed rulings or severe injuries.” She barely got her brush out of the way before Saylee’s eyes flashed open.

 

“I know Pokemon don’t have proper rights here,” she said, “but is it true that they commonly maim or even  _ kill _ \--?”

 

“Eyes closed until I say so,” Key ordered. “I know it happens. I don’t know how common it is. The Pokemon League here’s a private sporting organization, not a governmental body, so it’s pretty hard for me to get many details. But this gym often works with the schools nearby, they do extracurricular training classes for aspiring Pokemon trainers. They’re most people’s first gym battle, I can’t imagine they’re that dangerous. Okay,  _ now _ you can move,” she added, sitting back. “Get your sparkles on and let’s get going, shall we?”

 

“You are  _ good _ at that,” Saylee said, checking her hair and makeup in the mirror and then digging out her snowflake necklace. “Okay. Enjoy the fancy dinner, watch the battles, don’t look in Governor Christie’s direction.”

 

“I think they’re seating you so you face away from each other,” Key said, putting in her earrings and picking out a hairclip. It looked a little like a Stantler, but one with bright bunches of leaves around its horns--pink, green, orange and white. “It’s a Sawsbuck,” Key said, sliding it into her hair. “Native to Unova, isn’t it lovely?” She tapped the glittering piece with a smirk. “The pin’s sharp enough to stab right through a human hand, too. If you ever grew your hair long enough, I’d get you one.”

 

“Not quite my style, but good to know,” Saylee said, standing up. “Okay, let’s go help Blue and Red with the kids so we can get going.”

 

“If they need more help, won’t Janine or one of the others help them?” Key asked.

 

“One: Janine’s a bodyguard, not a nanny,” Saylee said, pulling her jacket on and opening the door. “And two, she thinks the twins are hilarious.”

 

“Well, she’s not wrong,” Key sniggered, following Saylee out. “Ray? Amy? How close are we to being ready to go, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pride Month, everybody! On the nuzlocke forums and my tumblr, sayleeofkanto, I’m taking part in the create-a-thon, so check it out if you want a daily extra dose of good queer shit!
> 
> Drake Zychsbane belongs to FifthSigma! Thanks for loaning him out!
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Oshawott, Loyal the Lillipup  
> Name: Paden. Species: Pansear. Nature: Calm. Ability: Gluttony. Location: Dreamyard. Level: 10
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Lilith the Lillipup, Packard the Watchog  
> Name: Pine. Species: Pansage. Nature: Naive. Ability: Gluttony. Location: Dreamyard. Level: 10
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Snivy, Priscilla the Purrloin  
> Name: Poncho. Species: Panpour. Nature: Impish. Ability: Gluttony. Location: Dreamyard. Level: 10


	6. Striaton Gym

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca, Cheren and Carlotta have their very first gym battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 1  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 0

{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 5:58pm _ }

{ _ Striaton City _ }

 

“I ain’t dressed fancy enough to be in here,” Bianca muttered, fidgeting nervously with her skirt. She was wearing a frilly white blouse and yellow skirt, the dressiest things she had, while Cheren, Warren and Carlotta were all wearing white dress shirts and black slacks. 

 

“The dress code doesn’t apply to trainers who are here to fight,” Cheren assured her. “None of us have the money to go shopping for new formal clothes. You look lovely, Bianca.”

 

“You got any idea what you wanna eat, or do you want me to pick somethin’ for you?” Carlotta asked, frowning at her menu. “That one, the  _ pommes frites _ , that’s the fancy fries, right?”

 

“Yes, it is,” Cheren said. “Bianca, you like soup, don’t you? Try that one.” He pointed at an item on her menu.

 

“Ain’t this food expensive?” Bianca asked. 

 

“This menu’s free to trainers,” Warren promised. “Oop, here comes our waiter. Evenin’,” he said as the young lady approached their table with a smile. Her nametag said her name was Tia. “Can I get that salad, please?”

 

“Pommes frites,  _ s’il vous plait _ ,” Carlotta said with a grin.

 

“ _ Tres bien _ !” Tia laughed. “And you, miss?”

 

“Ummm… soup, I guess,” Bianca mused, pointing at the one Cheren had suggested. “Please.”

 

“I’ll have the kebab, please,” Cheren said, collecting everybody’s menus and handing them to the waitress. “Thank you.”

 

“Of course!” Tia said, bobbing a curtsey and heading off with the menus. 

 

“Bianca, seriously, you look darlin’,” Carlotta said, dragging Bianca’s hand away as she started self-consciously patting at her hair.

 

“I know, but… they look so  _ nice, _ ” Bianca said wistfully, nodding to the table next to Cress’ stage where the Tohjo Champion and her husband were eating dinner with the Hoenn ambassador. Even all the kids were dressed up nice, all of them in bright, traditional-Fairlan style clothes. Three ninja were visibly hovering around the table, though they  _ were _ wearing more conventional black suits and ties instead of their ninja getups. 

 

“I think it’s just gondamn hilarious how they put her table as far as they damn could from Governor Christie’s table,” Warren said, pointing to the governor’s table, which was on the opposite end of the room, next to Chili’s stage. “I don’t think they could be any further apart without puttin’ one of ‘em out in the front garden!”

 

“Ohmygoodness, what’s happenin’?!” Bianca squeaked as the lights dimmed. 

 

“They’re gettin’ started, sssh,” Carlotta said, patting Bianca’s shoulder and pointing to the centre stage, where, with a burst of music, the stage lights came up on the Striaton Triplets.

 

“Good evening, honoured customers!” a pale man in a waiter’s uniform announced. He ran a hand through his short green hair. “My name is Cilan, and these are my brothers--”

 

“Cress,” a man with long blue hair announced, waving and bowing to the applauding crowd. 

 

“And Chili!” a man with spiky red hair shouted, pumping one fist in the air. “Woo!”

 

“Thank you all for joining us this evening,” Cilan continued, “and I would particularly like to thank our esteemed guests, Sar Saylee Pryce, Sir Blue Oak, Sar Keyanu Weaves, and their beautiful families!  _ Domo arigatou, Pryce-sama, to Oak-sama, to Weaves-sama!” _ he called, he and his brothers bowing deeply to the far table. “Thank you also to Governor Christie and her fine husband for joining us tonight,” he added, bowing again to the opposite table.

 

“Please enjoy your appetizers as our first three challengers join us,” Cress announced. “Could Brutus Soyinka please go to Chili’s stage, Phileas McLeen here to Cilan’s, and Conner Leone follow me to my stage?”

 

The three stages were decorated in green, red and blue drapes, making it easy to tell which was which. Their table was quite close to the blue stage, Cress’, so they got a look at Conner Leone as he passed them, a tall, pudgy man with unkempt black hair and dark bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept the night before, possibly training for the gym battle, or maybe the early morning to draw in the raffle had taken its toll on him.

 

“See, Bianca? He’s here in a gondamn  _ hoodie _ ,” Carlotta whispered. Bianca slammed her hands over her mouth to stifle her giggles. Conner didn’t seem to hear them, but looked unhappy anyway, slouching onto the stage and into the marked-out spot across from Cress. Cress bowed with an unaffected smile, in perfect unison with his brothers. Cilan’s opponent was  _ staggeringly _ tall with long blonde hair in a ponytail and a scruffy beard, and while he was wearing a dress shirt and nice slacks, he had the sleeves rolled up and was wearing boots. Chili’s opponent was tall, though not quite so much as Phileas McLeen, and more serious-looking, his shoulder-length black hair tied back out of his face and his white dress shirt neatly tucked into his black jeans.  

 

The drapes at the back of the stages drew back to reveal display screens that showed photographs of the challengers, and the information that all three were challenging for their fourth badges. Bianca fidgeted with her napkin as the servers returned with their drinks and entrees, listening intently as the referees announced the rules, even though her friends had already taken her through them earlier in the day. She couldn’t help the fear that she’d mess something up, do something wrong, somehow…

 

This was her  _ chance _ to be with Pokemon. She  _ had _ to get this right.

 

“Holy shit,” Carlotta whispered as Cheren whistled appreciatively when the three challengers released their first Pokemon to face the triplet leaders’ Stoutlands. Conner and Phileas both had Pignite, but Brutus had something humanoid and green-and-white that Bianca had never seen before.

 

“Is that a  _ Gallade _ ?” Cheren murmured, eyes fixed on the battle against Chili. “You don’t see many of them around here…”

 

“Lookin’ forward to evolvin’ Tiberius into that?” Carlotta asked, nudging Bianca and nodding to Conner’s Pignite, which was enthusiastically flinging Cilan’s Stoutland around the stage. 

 

“Won’t be able to carry ‘im anymore if I do,” Bianca giggled nervously. She started sipping at her soup. The battles on the stages were intense. Chili had already switched to a red Pokemon that looked like a bigger version of the ones they’d found abandoned.  _ Simisear _ , she remembered from what her friends had taught her.  _ Cress has a… Simipour, and Cilan has a Simisage… but they don’t use ‘em on just first badge fights, right? They use littler ones… _

 

Brutus was the first to finish, his Gallade winning both battles in under five minutes. Bianca joined in the clapping as he and his Gallade both bowed elegantly, before he returned his Gallade and was presented with his badge. Phileas finished not long after, switching to a brown Pokemon with long, bouncy legs and big eyes set into its chest after Cress brought out his Simipour. Cheren quietly identified it as a Hitmonlee, another rare, foreign Pokemon, and it didn’t take long to kick Cress’ Simipour off the stage, drawing some laughter as well as clapping. Conner was the last to finish--waiters were starting to deliver main courses to the other tables by the time he won. His Pignite didn’t struggle to defeat either the Stoutland or the Simisage, but Conner himself seemed bored by the entire business, giving his orders slowly while his energetic Pignite dodged around the stage. Even he, however, finally won his badge, waved vaguely to the room and slouched back to his seat.

 

“Congratulations to Brutus Soyinka, Phileas McLean and Conner Leone on your wins!” Cilan announced. “Now, battling for their first badges--please welcome Carlotta Arathos to Chili’s stage, Cheren Athos to Cress’ and Bianca D’Artagnan to mine!”

 

Bianca felt like she’d sweat through her clothes as she walked on wobbly legs up the steps to Cilan’s stage, barely hearing the clapping. There probably weren’t even fifty people in the room, and it turned out that all the cameras were being kept outside, a horde of paparazzi who had been completely uninterested in anybody except Governor Christie and the Fairlan delegation. And there were three stages, so probably the whole room wasn’t even looking at her. Probably they were looking at Cheren, striding confidently onto the stage, or Carlotta, who was much more beautiful than Bianca and waving cheerily to the whole room, smiling her proud, dazzling smile. 

 

Even if nobody was looking at Bianca, though, she still  _ felt _ watched, and she’d always hated that feeling. Her parents had assured her, every day since before she could remember, that the dragons were watching every single thing she did and said and thought. This had never felt as comforting as it was probably supposed to. 

 

This was worse than  _ choir _ . At least she’d never had to  _ sing _ alone.

 

_ Focus on what you’re doin’, _ she reminded herself.  _ You love what you’re doin’, you just hate folks seein’ you do it. Ignore ‘em. _

 

“Are you ready, Miss D’artagnan?” Cilan said, releasing his Lillipup. 

 

Bianca took a deep breath. “I’m ready,” she said, releasing her own Lillipup. Lilith yipped excitedly when she spotted the other Lillipup, bouncing on the spot. Cilan’s Lillipup just huffed.

 

“Excited little thing, yours, isn’t she?” Cilan chuckled. “Okay, Sauvignon, Work Up!” The little Pokemon snarled and bristled, causing Lilith to take a hesitant step back as her opponent started barking aggressively.

 

“Don’t let ‘im scare you, Lil!” Bianca cried. “Bite!” Lilith leapt forwards, catching one of her enemy’s ears in her teeth and worrying at it. “Lilith! Harder’n that! We ain’t playin’!”

 

“Bite, Sauvignon!” Cilan ordered. Sauvignon bit back, much more aggressively, tearing into Lilith’s shoulder. Lilith wailed in pain.

 

“C’mon, Lil!  _ Bite _ ‘im!” Bianca cried. “Or, ummm… Take Down!”

 

Lilith slammed into Sauvignon, sending him flying backwards across the stage. Bianca heard a cheer from somewhere off the stage, but fought the urge to look. “That’s great, Lilith!” she cried. “Take Down again!”

 

Lilith charged Sauvignon again and, again, Sauvignon was knocked backwards. Lilith looked tired from using the difficult attack, panting and shaking, but Sauvignon was also looking battered and weak. He coughed a little blood onto the stage. 

 

_ Blood? Do we keep fightin’ if there’s blood? _ Bianca wondered, looking to the referee, but he just smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

 

“Once more!” Cilan ordered. “Bite!”

 

Sauvignon lunged and Lilith, exhausted, didn’t dodge far enough.

 

Sauvignon’s teeth ripped into her neck, and this time there was a  _ lot _ of blood. When Lilith, with a pitiful, choked whine, slumped, it was into a puddle that was already big enough to splash. 

 

“LILITH!!” Bianca screamed, running towards her Lillipup. She screamed again when Sauvignon growled at her, the fur of his face messy with blood, but Cilan whistled and he backed away. 

 

“Miss D’artagnan, stay off of the field! Battling Pokemon are dangerous!” the referee said sharply, holding her back. “I’ll check on her. Step back or you’ll be disqualified.”

 

As Bianca hugged herself, starting to cry, she became aware of Warren shouting. “--my  _ friend _ , she’s never seen a Pokemon die before, you have to let me up there--”

 

“Dead,” the referee announced. “Do you wish to choose another Pokemon, Miss D’Artagnan?”

 

“Wh-what? No!” Bianca cried. Cilan returned Sauvignon and she ran across the now-lifeless battlefield, slumping next to Lilith’s corpse as she descended into full-fledged sobbing. She barely registered the referee announcing her forfeit, or the anger breaking out at the tables at the back of the room, or the blood soaking into her skirt. At some point, Warren reached her, hugging her tight, and she she was grateful to have somebody to cling to as she cried.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 7:29pm _ }

{ _ Striaton City _ }

 

Bianca was far too upset to sit back down and eat, let alone watch other battles, so Warren took her out to the foyer and sat with her while they waited for Carlotta and Cheren. A waitress led them out to where they could sit down and brought Bianca a glass of water and some tissues.

 

“Alright, hon, I’m sure you don’t wanna talk about this just now, but I’ve just got a coupla things I need to ask you,” she said, tapping at her C-gear. “First up, we’ve put your poor Lillipup’s body away safe for now, but we need your call on what to do with her. You want her cremated, we can point you at a place nearby that does that real cheap, ‘less you wanna splurge of a fancy urn or craft for her ashes. You wanna have her transferred somewhere for traditional burial, that’s a bit more pricey.”

 

“Don’t! Don’t… don’t burn her!” Bianca cried frantically. “She didn’t do nothin’ wrong!”

 

“Okay, hon, okay,” the waitress said, raising her hands placatingly. “That’s a ‘no’ on the crematin’, got it. You got somewhere special you want her buried?”

 

“I… I dunno,” Bianca croaked. “My… my folks always said Pokemon don’t got souls, so it ain’t right ta try an’ bury ‘em proper… I dunno about…”

 

“Celestial Tower,” Warren said firmly. “It’s a little pricey, but we’ll all chip in, okay? They’ll take real good care of Lilith.”

 

“Alright, hon, we’ll send you an invoice later,” the waitress said. “Sure you don’t wanna come back in for some food?”

 

Bianca just shook her head, pressing her hands to her mouth as she started to cry.

 

“Thanks, but we’ll just wait here for our friends and then go,” Warren told her. 

 

“Alright, then,” the waitress said, heading back towards the restaurant. She was nearly steamrollered by Carlotta as she charged out, pokeball in one hand and new badge in the other. 

 

“Bianca, I’m so sorry, I was so into the battle, I didn’t notice a thing until I’d finished and then I couldn’t see you or Warren and I saw Sar Pryce was arguing with Cilan and that Phileas guy told me that...” She trailed off as she sat down down on Bianca’s other side and snaked an arm around her. Bianca just turned around and started sobbing on Carlotta’s shoulder. “Oh, Biana… I’m sorry. That was absolute  _ roshit _ .”

 

“It’s all my fault!” Bianca sobbed. “Should’ve had ‘er use a different move… or.... Shoulda used Tiberius from the start, them other two’s Pignites did just fine… It’s all my fault! I got ‘er  _ killed _ !”

 

“Hey, c’mon, it’s not your fault,” Warren said, patting her back. “These things happen sometimes.”

 

“Mostly only higher up, though,” Carlotta added. “No  _ first-badge _ battle should’ve gotten that intense. If anythin’, it’s  _ Cilan’s _ fault.”

 

“Good grief,” Cheren panted, running through the door. “I barely got to finish my battle. There’s a diplomatic incident happening in there. I think we’d better leave.”

 

“Oh, shit, did the Governor and the Fairlan Champ start a fight again?” Carlotta said, looking far too excited at the prospect.

 

“No, and they never--well, they are hardly in combat, but it looks like the Fairlan delegation were already furious about Lilith’s death, especially in front of their children,” Cheren said. “I think I heard one of them crying… I was finishing my battle so I didn’t quite hear what happened, but the Champion just about exploded--”

 

“Sar Saylee is suffering some difficulty with the notion that Unovan laws are not the same as Fairlan ones, that’s all,” Cilan said, striding calmly through the door. Following him was a man who, despite wearing into a suit, was still instantly recognizable as the ninja that had accosted Warren at Professor Juniper’s lab, not least because his already deep-etched scowl was diamond-hard now as he watched Cilan. “Miss D’Artagnan, I am here to apologize personally. As a professional, it was my job to ensure that our battle did not get out of hand, especially where a brand-new trainer such as yourself was concerned, and I failed in that. Therefore, as a gesture of goodwill, I would like to offer to cover the costs of your Lillipup’s burial, and, if you’d like a new one, I can introduce you to the breeder who my brothers and I always buy from. She’s the best of the best, I can promise you that.”

 

“Th-thank you, but… I don’t wanna replace Lilith,” Bianca sniffed, wiping at her eyes.

 

“Let me know if you change your mind,” Cilan said with a friendly smile. “Would you like to book a rematch now?”

 

“N-no,” Bianca choked out, struggling not to cry again.

 

“Thank you for your help, but right now, we’d just like to leave,” Cheren said, standing between Bianca and Cilan. 

 

Cilan, taking a hint, nodded and stepped away. “Best of luck on your League challenges,” he said with a bow, backing through the doors to the restaurant. 

 

“ _ Datanya-sama _ ?” the ninja sad. “ _ Matte kudasai… _ ” He started fidgeting with what looked like a translator button on his lapel.

 

“ _ Sumimasen? _ ” Cheren interjected, a little haltingly. “ _ Ferango o hanashimasu. _ ”

 

“ _ Honto ni? _ ” the ninja said in surprise. “ _ Ferango wa jyouzu desu ne!” _

 

_ “Sonna koto nai desu… _ ”

 

“What’s goin’ on?” Carlotta whispered. 

 

“How should I know?” Warren whispered back. “I don’t speak Fairlan!”

 

“You spend half your time with a nerd who does!” Carlotta argued quietly, gesturing to Cheren. 

 

“You spend almost as much time with Cheren as I do,” Warren shot back, “and when we’re alone, it’s  _ not _ for Fairlan lessons!”

 

“Didn’t know…” Bianca hiccuped between quiet sobs. “...Cheren… spoke… ‘nother language…?”

 

“Eh, both his parents’ families are from the Fairlands, like, eight generations back,” Warren said, rolling his eyes. “But his mum’s is one of those families that holds on  _ super hard _ to their roots, so they’ve always raised their kids speaking Unovan and Fairlan. They want him to go on a year of work study in Sinnoh, too. Damn, maybe we should be filming this, his parents’ll  _ die _ of pride to see him speaking real Fairlan to a real--aw shit,” Warren muttered as the word ‘die’ caused Bianca to start sobbing again. Carlotta, scowling, leaned over and punched her brother in the arm. 

 

Cheren was ignoring them in favour of focusing intently on his conversation, looking increasingly floored by whatever the ninja was saying to him. Then there was a lot of bowing both ways and some “ _ Arigatou gozaimasu _ ”s, one phrase that Warren  _ did _ actually know.

 

Then the ninja bowed to Bianca, said “ _ Go shuushou sama desu, _ ” and walked back into the restaurant.

 

“Cher? You okay? What happened?” Warren asked, leaning over and taking his pale-faced boyfriend’s hand and rubbing his thumb over Cheren’s knuckles.

 

“Well… as I understand it, Sar Saylee is indeed incensed that there are no actual legal consequences for killing a Pokemon in battle, even if it  _ was _ an accident, and, um…” he looked down at Warren, Bianca and Carlotta. “Well, she offered condolences as if you’d lost a child instead of a Pokemon and then, because she believes you shouldn’t have to worry about food or shelter while dealing with a loss and knowing that travelling trainers don’t have much money, has offered to cover rooms for the four of us at the Trio Grande hotel, including room service.”

 

“The Tri--the big-ass fancy hotel by the Botanic Gardens?!” Warren yelped. “ _ Seriously _ ?”

 

“Apparently, we just need to go into the desk and check in as Bianca D’Artagnan and her plus three,” Cheren said, looking a little dazed. 

 

“ _ Sweeeeeeeeet, _ ” Carlotta breathed, putting her hands on Bianca’s shoulders. “Okay, so we’re gonna go check into this fancy hotel, and--Bianca, how do you feel about bubble baths?”

 

“I… could really use one right now,” Bianca sniffed weakly.

 

“Then we’re checkin’ in, you’re gettin’ in a bubble bath for as long as you gondamn want, I’m gonna find you my favourite pep-up playlists of 100% happy music, and then we’re gonna order fancy room service and eat it while wearing hotel dressing gowns, which are really nice even when it’s  _ not _ the fanciest hotel in a hundred miles so these must be  _ next level, _ and we’re gonna watch the best movies you were never allowed to, okay?”

 

“After Bianca’s first ever professional battle ended so disastrously, I think that sounds ideal,” Cheren said, gripping Warren’s hand and pulling him to his feet. “We aren’t far. I think we should head there directly. The paparazzi are still outside, but they aren’t expecting anybody to come out yet and don’t care about some no-name rookie trainers coming out of a gym, whereas if we arrive at the hotel after they’ve followed Sar Saylee’s entourage there, they will most  _ certainly _ be interested in the no-name rookie trainers staying in an expensive hotel.”

 

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Warren said, taking one of Bianca’s hands as Carlotta took the other, pulling her to her feet so she could walk semi-hidden between the taller twins with her friends holding her hands. “Hmmm… You know what I loved as a kid?  _ Toy Story.  _ You ever see it?” Bianca shook her head, sniffing. “Well, it’s great. All these toys come alive, like a Mr Petaya Head--you  _ must’ve _ had one of those--and a Slinky Stoutland and a Grumpig bank and stuff, but mainly there’s this rancher, right, and…”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 8:01pm _ }

{ _ Striaton City _ }

 

Saylee was still seething by the time they got back to the hotel. “Kids, go start getting changed into your PJs, okay?” Key said gently, ushering her uncharacteristically quiet twins into their room. “Mommy’ll be through in just a moment.”

 

“Go on, Lettie, you too,” Blue encouraged her. “Red, keep an eye on ‘em, willya?” he added.

 

“Sure… c’mon, then,” Red said, leading Scarlet by the hand after the twins. He glanced nervously over his shoulder before closing the door behind them.

 

“Gods, I  _ knew _ it wasn’t actually  _ illegal _ to kill your opponents’ Pokemon here,” Saylee moaned, putting a hand over her eyes, “but you said it was  _ rare _ , Key, and you never said they--”

 

“It’s… not as rare as it should be,” Key admitted. “And I had no idea they’d just…”

 

“Scoop the body off in a fucking shovel and then continue as if nothing happened?” Blue supplied sharply. 

 

“...but I just gave them another ‘Fairlan Champion makes a scene’ headline, didn’t I?” Saylee groaned, dragging her hand down her face. “Gods… I won’t apologize for demanding that they treat the poor thing with a little dignity, but I’m gonna have to make  _ some _ sort of statement clarifying my position and apologizing gracefully for my conduct, aren’t I?”

 

“I’ll help you out with that later, if you want, but for now, I’ve really gotta go speak to my kids,” Key said quietly. “They know what death is, but they’ve never  _ seen _ a Pokemon die before.”

 

“They’ve never seen…  _ shit _ ,” Saylee sighed, rubbing her eyes again. “I’d better talk to Scarlet, too. She’s been to some of her great-grandparents’ funerals and she saw Grace die when there was that assassination attempt, but still, this was awful… I want to know how Red’s doing, too.”

 

None of the kids were in their pyjamas yet by the time they’d collected themselves enough to go talk, something nobody felt inclined to tell them off for. Key gently sat down next to her kids and they immediately latched onto her, burying their heads in her side. Amber was sobbing; Raphael was yelling. 

 

“Why’d he hurt the other one so BAD, didn’t he know biting somebody there’d KILL them, why’d he DO that, Mommy, why’d his trainer LET him, didn’t his trainer TELL him you can kill somebody biting ‘em there, Mommy, Grandpa always tells HIS Pokemon to be real careful not to hurt anybody TOO bad, how come he’s a Leader if he doesn’t TELL his Pokemon to be careful, Mommy, how COME…”

 

Scarlet hugged her dad, just crying. “Th-they j-j-just… s-s-s-s-s-scoo-oo-ooped h-her up… d-d-dragged her aw-way… l-l-l-like n-nothing’s wrong…” she gasped between sobs.

 

“I know, kiddo,” Blue said, rubbing her back. “Koga says they’re taking her away for a nice funeral, okay?”

 

“Hey,” Saylee said, putting a hand on Red’s shoulder. “You okay?”

 

“...Never  _ seen _ a Pokemon die before,” he mumbled. It was just… one second it was okay, then it was just… gone, in a puddle of blood.”

 

Saylee took a deep, deep breath as a lump dropped heavily into her stomach. “That’s… how it happens, sometimes,” she said carefully. “And… it’s unfair, and it’s cruel, and it shouldn’t. That’s part of why we’re here--trying to talk to Unovan people, get them interested in how we do things, in a better way of treating Pokemon…”

 

Red gave her a tortured look. “Why can’t they  _ already _ see how cruel that is?” he asked, his voice breaking. 

 

Saylee put an arm around him, letting him lean his head on her shoulder while tears slipped down his cheeks. “I don’t know,” she said quietly, staring out of the window at the highly-advertised view of the Botanical Gardens, all of the magnificent hedge sculptures lit up for the night with dramatic spotlights. It all looked so beautiful.

 

_ I’m sorry, Red. You were never supposed to rediscover that kind of cruelty. You were lucky enough forget, to get a life where you could believe in a world that isn’t cruel and cold. You and Scarlet were never supposed to see it at all... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brutus belongs to Gamesmaster64, Phil belongs to Gensoukyan30, and Conner belongs to Bowserboy129! They’ll probably appear again in some capacity as none of them got speaking parts in this chapter, but since they’re all on the gym circuit too, I thought it’d be fun to have them establish how the Striaton Gym works :) And yes I am aware that ingame you fight the Leader with an ADVANTAGE over you, not a DISADVANTAGE. I changed it after establishing that they’re linked to the local Trainer’s School--I thought it’d be more likely that they’d try to give new trainers an advantage, switching to giving more accomplished trainers a disadvantage and a challenge. Anyway, whichever brother it is doesn’t really change the fact that a fucking Worked Up critical Bite killed my fucking puppy. (Of course, ingame, no, I didn’t forfeit, I won the badge, but there was no way Bianca was capable fo finishing that battle.)
> 
> When Koga greets them, “Datanya” is my best estimate of how a Japanese person would pronounce “D’artagnan”, and “Matte kudasai” means “wait, please” because he’s an old man who can’t make his digital translator work. Cheren steps in to say that he can speak Fairlan (“Feran” would, again, be my guess at a Japanese pronunciation; “Ferango” would be “Fairlan(language)”, while “Feranjin” would be “Fairlan(person)”). Koga then says the Fairlan-substituted-for-Japanese ritual polite phrase which means “Really? Your Fairlan is so good!” and Cheren responds with the official response, which basically amounts to “not really”. Japanese people are just about obligated by law to praise any foreigner who speaks Japanese with this phrase, and it looks rude if you don’t deny a compliment in Japanese. The last thing Koga says to Bianca is roughly equivalent to saying “I’m sorry for your loss” in English, though it’s not a direct translation.
> 
>  
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Oshawott, Loyal the Lillipup, Paden the Pansear
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Packard the Watchog, Pine the Pansage  
> RIP Lilith the Lillipup, level 4-12
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Snivy, Priscilla the Purrloin, Poncho the Panpour


	7. Straiton Daycare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca, Carlotta, Cheren and Warren have a nice day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 1  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 1

{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 9:12pm _ }

{ _ Striaton City _ }

 

Having been assigned two rooms, they let Bianca settle alone in one to run herself a bubble bath in the big, luxurious bathroom, which did include fancy bubble bath among the free toiletries. There was more than enough room in the second twin for Carlotta, Cheren and Bianca to poke around the fancy desk, minibar and cupboards before flopping down on the luxurious beds to decide what to do while they waited to find out how long Bianca’s ideal bath was.

 

“We could try makin’ friends with those three abandoned Pokemon,” Warren suggested. “If we’re not gonna give ‘em to the Plasma Foundation, we might look into keepin’ ‘em. If we could get ‘em comfy with us, we wouldn’t have to just abandon ‘em in a computer box forever, right?”

 

“That’s a good idea,” Cheren said, opening a web browser. “Do you know much about interacting with scared, hurt Pokemon, Warren?”

 

“Ehhh… I’ve read a couple things, but I ain’t a doctor  _ yet, _ ” Warren admitted, ruffling a hand through his own hair. “But stayin’ calm and givin’ ‘em space to calm down is important, I’m pretty sure.”

 

“Here’s an accredited guide,” Cheren said, throwing up a holodisplay from his c-gear screen. “It says that if you’re dealing with multiple scared Pokemon, only let them out one at a time or they’ll panic each other. Which one first?”

 

“The grass one,” Carlotta said. “If it panics, it ain’t gonna set the room on fire or flood it. I mean, we ain’t payin’ for this place, but that don’t mean we can trash it. I’m guessin’, if we get it calm, it can calm down the others, right?”

 

“Right,” Warren said, carefully pressing the front buttons on the pokeballs to get information displays until he found the Pansage, clicking hard to release the the little green Pokemon into the middle of the carpet. He looked much better without the blood and bruises, but as soon as he saw the three humans, he whimpered and shot off under one of the beds.

 

“Do we just let ‘im do that?” Carlotta said, leaning down to peer under the bed.

 

“Yeah, I think we do,” Warren said, pulling her back. “We shouldn’t touch or approach it ‘til it lets us, right?”

 

“That’s what it says here,” Cheren agreed. “We should stay very still, keep as quiet as possible, and not react to anything it does--in fact, try not to even look at it. It might take a long time, but when it realizes it isn’t being hurt, it’ll come to investigate us, and when we don’t hurt it for that, it’ll get more comfortable.”

 

“Wait, we’ve gotta sit still and quiet for  _ hours _ ?!” Carlotta said in dismay.

 

“That might actually kill you,” Warren observed.

 

“No shit,” Carlotta grumbled. “Look, I’ll go back to the other room and work out until Bianca gets outta her bath. You guys can stay here alone so long as you don’t tell our folks I left y’all unchaperoned and you don’t get up to nothin’, or at least keep it quiet if you do, okay?”

 

“Please go away, now, please,” Cheren sighed, pulling his glasses off and rubbing his eyes as Warren shoved his cackling sister through the adjoining door between the rooms.

 

“So…  _ Grass Vs Ghosts _ ?” Warren suggested, holding up his c-gear.

 

“I’ll set up a local game,” Cheren agreed with a cough. They loaded up the game and settled down on the floor, backs to the couch so they could see if the Pansage came out from under the bed. 

 

It was a little eerie at first, playing in silence aside from the occasional hiss of frustration, but steadily Warren got absorbed into the game. Around ten, a “BlazingSoul96” joined their game, and Cheren murmured something about bored rich kids before they got back into the flow of the game. Warren got so sucked in that he couldn’t help jumping and yelping when something unexpectedly touched his foot.

 

The Pansage gave a little wail and took off under the bed again.

 

“Well, shit,” Warren muttered. “Did I just flush an hour and a half down the pan?”

 

“Did you make that pun consciously?” Cheren said. Warren groaned. “And you didn’t hurt it, you just startled it. It won’t take so long to come back again. Hmmm…” He pulled his pokeballs out of his pocket. “Maybe I’ll let Sherlock out. He’s very well-behaved, and it might help settle the poor thing to see another Pokemon.”

 

“Good idea,” Warren said, picking up his c-gear again. “Aw, shit, we left Blazin’ Soul holdin’ the fort alone! He’s gettin’ swamped!”

 

“So help him  _ quietly _ ,” Cheren said, keeping his voice deliberately soft as he released Sherlock, then picked up his own C-gear to rejoin the game. Sherlock stared at the humans for a while, as if waiting for a command, before hissing a bit when nothing happened. “We’re not fighting, Sherlock,” Cheren whispered, pointing to the bed that the Pansage was hiding under. “Remember that Pansage? Go say hello!”

 

Sherlock stared at the bed, then flicked out his tongue a few more times, eyes widening. He crept under the bed. Warren turned his full attention to the undead invasion floating across the screen.

 

After a while, the quiet in the room was tinted by soft hissing and chittering.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 18 _ _ th _ _ , 10:55pm _ }

{ _ Striaton City _ }

 

“Oh,” Bianca said, coming out of the bathroom in a fluffy dressing gown to see Carlotta lying on her back, bench-pressing a toddler-sized blue Pokemon with long whiskers, who was giggling as he went up and down. “Uh… is that Owain? Did he evolve?”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Carlotta grunted, setting down her starter. “After the gym battle. Wasn’t really worth mentionin’ at the time. How are you doin’?”

 

“Better,” Bianca said, sitting down on the bed. “Sorry for takin’ so long.”

 

“Awww, don’t you worry your head about it,” Carlotta said, patting Bianca’s shoulder. “I’m gonna get a shower. Be five minutes. Don’t go next door ‘less you wanna sit silent, they’re tryin’ ta get them abused Pokemon used to ‘em. When I’m done, we’ll get room service, awright? The menu’s in plain Unovan, so have yourself a peek an’ pick what you want.” She returned Owain, handed a tablet to Bianca and headed for the bathroom.

 

Bianca stared at the menu listlessly, then, biting her lip, scrolled to the dessert menu. _They won’t judge me for gettin’ a milkshake, right?_ _Even if it’s a big one? I could even get… gondamn, does that say_ double chocolate fudge brownie?!

 

Carlotta wasn’t even five minutes, coming out with her long brown hair wrapped up in a towel and stroking the sleeves of her dressing gown. “ _ Damn _ , this shit’s soft. Alright, Bianca, what’re you gonna have?”

 

“I… could do with a milkshake,” Bianca admitted, pointing to the picture in the menu.

 

“Ooooh, good idea!” Carlotta said, grinning. “Lemme see… yeah, sounds like a good idea! Ooooh, double chocolate fudge brownie? My favourite!

 

“I want that, too,” Bianca said, nearly melting with relief, the feeling of a threat avoided.  _ Which is silly. Carlotta’s my friend. She ain’t a  _ threat _. _

 

“Nice,” Carlotta said, double-tapping the flavour option and ordering two. “Right… well, let’s see what movies this place has got, huh?”

 

“Carly?” Bianca asked, fidgeting with her sleeves. “Ummm… Lilith. Dyin’. Have you… seen stuff like that before?”

 

“Well… I ain’t actually  _ seen _ it happen before,” Carlotta admitted. “They don’t tend to broadcast that. Restrictions. People an’ Pokemon can fake die in movies plenty, though I think we’ll avoid  _ that _ . But sometimes, y’know, you see dead wild Pokemon around… maybe they got killed fightin’ other wild Pokemon, or by a trainer who didn’t bury ‘em and just left ‘em. I ain’t sayin’ it’s a good thing, but it happens. High-level battles often lead to somethin’ dyin’ ‘cause the Pokemon involved are so dang strong.”

 

“Is it silly of me to be this upset?” Bianca asked quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. “She was just… so  _ little _ … it looked like it  _ hurt _ …”

 

“Hey, Bianca, no, you ain’t silly,” Carlotta said, reaching out and hugging her tight. “Hells, maybe  _ we _ oughta be more upset. It is pretty messed up that that happened in front of all them kids, too. You’d really think Cilan woulda been more careful. The rest of us are just… more used to it, that’s all. It happens.”

 

“I… I guess I gotta get used to it too,” Bianca said, wiping her eyes.

 

“You don’t have to do nothin’ but feel better in your own time, Bianca,” Carlotta said, squeezing her tight. “Sorry it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows out here.”

 

“It’s still better,” Bianca said, hugging her back. “Believe me. It’s  _ better. _ ”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 19 _ _ th _ _ , 8:30am _ }

{ _ Striaton City _ }

  
  


“Oh my goodness,” Bianca gasped, clasping her hands to her chest and smiling broadly. “You did it!”

 

The Pansear and Pansage both  _ eeped _ at the sudden sound and hid behind the Panpour who, though he was trembling, puffed up his chest and leveled the fiercest glare he could muster. 

 

“Hey, no, it’s okay,” Warren said, pointing to Bianca and Carlotta and smiling. “Look, they’re safe, they’re friends, okay? Kneel down, hold out a hand, don’t move,” he added to Carlotta and Bianca. They did so, watching as the three little Pokemon slowly edged closer, occasionally glancing at Sherlock, who leaned down from his trainer’s shoulder and hissed. 

 

“And try not to smile with teeth, these species see it as a challenge,” Cheren added. Bianca quickly adjusted her grin. The Pansage looked up at her, then at her outstretched hand, tentatively tapping it with a paw.

 

“Hey there, cutie,” Bianca cooed softly as the Pansage patted and sniffed his way up her arm. “I’m a friend, I promise.” She reached out another hand, tentatively, to pet the little green Pokemon. He flinched away, trembling, before slowly opening his eyes and staring in awe as all she did was stroke his ears gently. 

 

“See? Friendly!” Carlotta said, waggling her own fingers. The Pansear sniffed at her, then nipped her finger. “Ow!” she yelped, pulling her hand back. The Pansear fled again. “What was that for?!”

 

“He’s just testin’ you to see if you’re just  _ actin’ _ nice,” Warren advised, over the sound of Sherlock hissing at the Pans. “Don’t do anything.”

 

Sherlock was pushing the Pansear back towards Carlotta. Grumbling, she held out her hand again. The Pansear stared, wide-eyed, then licked her wound. “Is that sanitary?” she asked Warren.  

 

“Fire-types don’t carry anythin’ that can infect humans, their body temperatures are too dang high,” Warren promised her. “Guess you’ll be carryin’ him, then, ‘til we can find somewhere safe to take ‘em?”

 

“Sure,” Carlotta said, holding out her hand for the pokeball so she could return the Pansear. Bianca recalled the Pansage, and Cheren the Panpour. “Right. Speakin’ of…”

 

“A guy we were gaming with last night mentioned over text chat that there’s a nursery nearby that also takes in abandoned Pokemon,” Cheren explained. “I looked up the address. It’s on the way to Nacrene City, anyway, so shall we?”

 

They checked out, giggling conspiratorially as the concierge told them that their bill was nothing whatsoever and wished them luck on their journey. Following Cheren’s c-gear map route, they wandered the streets of north-west Striaton, which were so thick with ornamental trees that it was actually a while before they realized that the buildings were gone and they were outside of the city. They spotted the first brightly-coloured sign for the nursery at the same time that the sound of children shrieking with laughter reached them.

 

“I think that’s it,” Carlotta said, pointing to a big, old-fashioned log cabin that was a semi-concealed by the trees around it. 

 

“Umm… guys?” Bianca said nervously. “I… I know it looks real nice… but are we sure they’re gonna treat the Pokemon right?”

 

“Blazing Soul said that the place allows you to visit and play with adoptable Pokemon,” Cheren explained. “They let some play with the children at the nursery, but others adults can visit. We can have a look at the place before we leave those Pokemon here, okay?”

 

“Thanks,” Bianca sighed in relief. Carlotta patted her arm and pressed the doorbell, which played the chirpy theme song of an old cartoon.

 

“Oh… hi!” a young woman in a bright apron said, looking startled as she opened the door. “Um… can I  help you?”

 

“Hi,” Warren said. “We heard we could visit adoptable Pokemon here?”

 

“You were… oh! Right! You’re visitors! Yes!” the young woman said, opening the door further. “Sorry, we’re expecting visitors. Different ones. Sorry, can I see your IDs, please? I’ll check you in. It’s not them!” she called over her shoulder as three more members of nursery staff came hurrying into the entrance hall. They all had their names embroidered on their aprons, revealing that the woman at the door’s name was Autumn and she wasn’t just wearing a mismatched seasonal apron. “It’s some trainers,” Autumn explained, causing her coworkers to sigh in momentary relief before one went to look anxiously out of the front window.

 

“Sorry, should we have made an appointment or called ahead?” Cheren asked as Autumn led them over to the front desk. 

 

“No, no, don’t worry about it,” Autumn insisted, taking and scanning their IDs. “Are you here looking to adopt or just visit?”

 

“We ain’t really lookin’ to adopt, we just wanna spend some time with the Pokemon,” Carlotta explained.

 

Autumn nodded. “We actually welcome that, because we have a few who aren’t completely safe to socialize with children, so older visitors are very welcome to spend some time with them,” she said with a smile as she handed back their IDs. “Most of the Pokemon are out in the yard with the children just now…”

 

“You really let the kids play with the Pokemon?  _ Every day? _ ” Bianca breathed in awe. 

 

“Bianca’s wonderin’ if she’s too old to go to nursery,” Warren said in amusement.

 

“You’re too old to enroll, I’m afraid, but not too old to play with Pokemon,” Cheren said encouragingly. “Are we allowed to release our own Pokemon here?” he asked Autumn.

 

“We’d rather you didn’t,” Autumn said apologetically, walking back out from around the desk and gesturing for them to follow her down the hall. “Not all of our Pokemon are comfortable around stranger Pokemon. Also, we do have some guests coming by appointment soon, so please don’t go wandering off around the building unsupervised.”

 

“Gotcha,” Carlotta said. “So, what’ve you got?”

 

Autumn stopped by a doorway with a deposit box set into the wall next to it. She tapped the screen above, scrolling through the pictures of some Pokemon. “Well, here, you folks have a look. Any of the ones with red tags, they aren’t comfortable around ANY other Pokemon at all, so you’d have to go to a room on your own with them. Yellow tags are fine together but not with stranger Pokemon. We have quite a few that really aren’t happy around men and one or two who don’t like women, so please check their information carefully.”

 

Warren swiped past a Lillipup  _ extremely  _ quickly. “Hey, look, it’s a Munna!” he said, pointing at the round, pink Pokemon. “Says here you ain’t lettin’ it out with the kids ‘cause she panics at loud noises?”

 

“And small children are nothing if not noisy,” Autumn giggled.

 

“Aww, it’s snuggly! I’ll snuggle ‘er!” Bianca volunteered immediately. Autumn smiled, entering her passcode to withdraw the Munna’s pokeball, handing it to Bianca. Cheren, Carlotta and Warren selected a couple of Pidove and a Purrloin, and went into the empty gym hall to play. 

 

“Keep in mind all the same stuff from lookin’ after those pans,” Warren said softly, stroking the Purrloin he’d selected, who curled up on his lap and purred. “Voices soft, no sudden movements, don’t do anythin’ if they get nervous an’ scratch or bite, right?”

 

“Right,” cooed Carlotta, giggling as the Pidove she’d picked chirped at her and hopped up and down her arm. It was missing a leg, but didn’t seem willing to let that slow it down. “Goddamn, up close, these things are  _ cute. _ Always thought they were just messy li’l assholes.”

 

“Surprisingly soft,” Cheren mused, lying on his back and letting his Pidove sit on his stomach and chirp as he stroked its head with a finger. They all lapsed into silence, focused on gently petting or cuddling the Pokemon they’d chosen. It was soothing, after all the chaos of the day before. 

 

After about twenty minutes, Autumn came back. “Just showing a couple of our foreign visitors around!” she said brightly, opening the door and speaking softly, a digital translator clipped to her apron displaying her words in the air in front of her.

 

The Fairlan man and woman who walked in were dressed like tourists, down to the woman having pulled her high purple ponytail through a Zebstriker baseball cap, but one look at their strikingly familiar faces suggested that they were anything but daytrippers.

 

“Holy shit, you’re the ninjas!” Warren blurted out.

 

“I feel like people  _ not _ yelling that is crucial to being a ninja,” Cheren said, slamming a hand over his boyfriend’s mouth.

 

The two ninja stared at the four of them in surprise, then the man pointed at them and said, “Warren Arathos, to Carlotta Arathos, to Cheren Athos, to Bianca D’artagnan,  _ desu ka? _ ”

 

“That’s us,” Carlotta said, raising her hand. “Do we gotta leave now? ‘Less your boss ain’t comin’ to visit and this is just you on your day off…” Cheren rattled off a translation for her.

 

There was some muttered conference between the ninja and some anxious looks from Autumn before the woman started talking, reaching for her translator button for a moment before changing her mind, nodding to Cheren. “They said it’s fine for us to stay because they know who we are,” he said.

 

As Autumn ushered the pair back out, Carlotta said, “third random encounter--does that make this a pattern?”

 

“I don’t believe the second time counts, since we chose to do our gym battles on a day when we  _ knew _ the Fairlan Champion would be there,” Cheren opined. 

 

“Should we be here?” Bianca said nervously. “Ya think members of the public ain’t supposed to be here?”

 

“That would explain why the staff were so startled to see us, but no, I don’t imagine we’re banned from being here, per se,” Cheren explained, looking around for his Pidove, who had startled when Warren yelled. “I’m sure they would have turned us away at the door if that was the case.”

 

“They wouldn’t do that, though, case we started askin’ around why the place is mysteriously closed to visitors today,” Warren added. “The Champion’s probably plannin’ to visit quite a few public places and they won’t be makin’ all of ‘em known to the public--”

 

“--especially if she’s bringin’ her kid, which she might, since this is, like, a place for kids to play with Pokemon,” Carlotta added. “I mean, places like this, all people-’n’-Pokemon together, are the kindsa places they gotta  _ love _ . But they’re not gonna post an itinerary or anythin’.” 

 

Warren nodded. “It’s a security hazard. But they ain’t gonna close places to the public with no explanation, either, since that’s a pretty obvious flag to anybody hopin’ to figure out where she’s gonna be today. Those ninja came in disguise to scope the place out, make sure it’s secure ‘fore the Champion gets here. If we were strangers, one of them probably woulda stayed to keep an eye on us until the Champion left.”

 

“Whoa… that’s a lot,” Bianca said with a shudder. “They gotta go through  _ all that _ anytime they go anywhere?”

 

“That’s security,” Carlotta said with a shrug, gently rocking her Pidove in her hands. “It’s good procedure. I’m guessin’ we’re gonna hafta stay here ‘til they’re gone.”

 

“I can do that,” Bianca said, rocking her Munna gently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally intended to be a couple scenes longer, but then the scenes here went long and I decided, y’know, let’s have a nice one! In between… things…
> 
> Hope y’all had a happy Pride month! I put up all the drabbles I did for the nuzforums’ create-a-thon on AO3 under a collection titled “Pride Twentygayteen”--the goal of the create-a-thon was to represent as many genders and sexualities as possibly, from gay and bi and ace and poly and pan and grey-ace people to trans and nonbinary and androgynous and demi people and more!
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Oshawott, Loyal the Lillipup, Paden the Pansear  
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Packard the Watchog, Pine the Pansage  
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Snivy, Priscilla the Purrloin, Poncho the Panpour  
> 


	8. Wellspring Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlotta and Cheren see something terrible. Bianca sees something amazing. Everybody sees ninja fights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 1  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 1

 

{ _ Reshin 19 _ _ th _ _ , 9:45am _ }

{ _ Striaton Co-operative Nursery _ }

 

“You know, quite a few of these Pokemon are fine, just… abandoned for whatever reason,” Cheren mused, flicking through the viewscreen set in next to the door. Visitors couldn’t withdraw Pokemon, but they could view all adoptable Pokemon. “Look, there’s Roggenrola from the cave nearby who were brought here for recovery from injuries and considered to have imprinted too hard on humans to be returned to the wild. They’ll be quite resistant to Lenora’s Pokemon and  _ very _ strong against Burgh’s bugs…”

 

“You think they’re ever gonna let us out so you can shop?” Carlotta said idly, catching Pijon as he came flying back to her hand. Beyond bored, she’d absentmindedly starting swinging the sleeping Pidove around and then, probably on pure muscle memory, had actually  _ thrown _ him. Warren and Bianca’s horrified yells had trailed off when the bird had woken up in midair and, apparently enjoying the assistance in getting airborne, flown back to Carlotta’s hand and chirped insistently until she threw him again. 

 

“I don’t know…” Cheren said, biting his lip as he looked at the close door. 

 

“I’m gonna have me a li’l look-see,” Bianca said, trotting over to the door and pushing it open, ignoring Cheren’s protestations. “Hello?” she called. 

 

There was a  _ thump _ and a  _ crash _ from down the lobby that made her jump with an  _ eep _ .

 

“What on earth--?” Cheren said, following her to stick his head out of the door. There was a scream down the hallway. “What in the  _ hells _ is goin’ on?!”

 

“C’mon, Owain, we’re gonna check that out,” Carlotta said, setting Pijon down on the floor and releasing her Dewott. The one-armed Pidove fluttered up and sat on her shoulder. “Fine, Pijon, you can come too.”

 

“Maybe we should leave that to the Champion’s security team to handle it…?” Warren said uneasily. There was another, larger  _ crash _ and more screaming, this time distinctly a child’s.

 

“We’re the good guys, they’ll be fine with it!” Carlotta shouted, running down the hall. 

 

“That’s not remotely--Car _ lotta _ !” Cheren shouted, running after her and releasing Sherlock onto his shoulder as he did so. “War, Bianca, close the door and stay safe in there!”

 

“Wait--!” Bianca shouted, but they had already run into the lobby and the fighting overwhelmed whatever Bianca was arguing. 

 

One figure in black threw the second over the lobby desk, only for the second to grab it, flip back upright and throw a handful of small knives that the first only barely dodged. Next to their all-black clothes, their shock of purple hair looked bright, and was the only way to really distinguish them from the one who’d thrown them across the desk, who was themself sporting long white hair. Another shriek forcefully dragged Carlotta’s attention away from the  _ actual ninja fight _ happening before her to see, outside, somebody dressed in the uniform of the daycare centre running away while struggling to hold onto a furiously screaming and thrashing child.

 

“Cheren! C’mon!” she yelled, grabbing his arm and dragging him after her out the door in pursuit. They both had to dive to the ground to avoid two more ninjas, who fell off of the roof, still fighting. Owain yapped, brandishing his shell at the perceived threat, until Carlotta picked him up bodily and took off after the escaping kidnapper. 

 

“Carlotta, wait!” Cheren shouted, from the sounds of it already falling behind her. He’d never been much of a runner, but Carlotta couldn’t afford to slow down to let him keep up.

 

“Can’t!” she shouted back. “He’s kidnappin’ a damn  _ kid _ !”

 

She could just catch Cheren swearing as she accelerated after the sound of screaming.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 19 _ _ th _ _ , 9:47am _ }

{ _ Striaton Co-operative Nursery _ }

 

“Bianca, c’mon, they’re right,” Warren said urgently, trying to drag her back into the room by the arm. “I don’t have no combat Pokemon, we’ve got us handful a’ traumatized non-combat Pokemon out here, and you--I mean, you’re not--”

 

“I don’t wanna fight, but if they’re hurtin’ kids, I’m  _ gonna _ !” Bianca insisted, wrenching her arm out of his grip and releasing Tiberius. “C’mon, Tibs, folks need our help!”

 

Tiberius squeaked nervously as he hopped into her arms and she took off running, following where Carlotta and Cheren had gone. She was bowled over when somebody dressed all in black was thrown at her, knocking her to the ground hard. Tiberius squealed as he went rolling across the floor, then angrily huffed and spat fire at the person who’d hit Bianca, who had already rolled back to their feet, flipping their long white hair over their shoulder and brandishing a knife. They stepped back, hissing in pain as they were burned, and were then sent flying backwards again as somebody else in black with spiky purple hair hit them in the chest with a flying kick. Bianca could hear bones cracking.

 

“Carly? Cheren?!” Bianca screamed, ignoring the bruising pain blooming up her back and shoulders as she struggled to her feet. She scooped up Tiberius and fled out of the door, where two more black-clad people were fighting. She ran past them and down the path into the forest. “Carly? CHEREN? WHERE ARE YOU?!”

 

Tiberius squealed shrilly again, suddenly hopping out of her arms and running away through the trees. “Tibs,  _ wait _ !” Bianca yelled, running after him. “C’mon, don’t make me chase you too!”

Tiberius ignored her, shooting off so fast that only his bright orange colour allowed her to keep track of him, especially as the trees started to get bigger and denser. She squeezed sideways through some particularly tightly-packed trees, stumbling as she came out in some kind of open, grassy clearing. 

 

Tiberius ran back up to her, squeaking frantically and tugging at her skirt. “I’m comin’, I’m comin’, are Carly an’ Cheren here?” she said, quickly scrambling to her feet and looking around. The clearing was empty, however, aside from a bundle of bloodstained blue fluff on the ground, which was twitching and whimpering. 

 

“Oh, hey, sweetie,” Bianca cooed softly, running over to it and scooping it up into her arms. In addition to all the blue fluff, it also had two limp, black, leathery wings, and a round pink nose with a black patch in the shape of a heart on it. “Oh goodness, ain’t you the cutest thing? Hang on, sweetie, I got potions…”

 

As she was digging in her bag, she heard a faint growl. Tiberius suddenly darted in front of her, shaking but spitting embers warningly. 

 

Bianca looked up and made eye contact with a Liepard.

 

She’d seen its picture, when Cheren was showing her what Priscilla would evolve into, but the numbers and stats beneath the picture hadn’t meant anything to her. What meant something to her now was the way that, while she was kneeling, the Liepard was taller than her, and baring large, sharp fangs as it stalked towards her, apparently ignoring Tiberius, its eyes instead fixed on the Pokemon in her arms.

 

“Hey! No! You leave us alone!” Bianca shouted, cuddling the smaller Pokemon to her chest and scooting backwards on her knees. She didn’t want to break eye contact with the Liepard. Somehow, she knew that was when it would pounce. “Tiberius, Ember!”

 

Tiberius spat several small balls of fire at the Liepard. It hissed, stepping backwards with a paw raised, but didn’t seem to be more than singed. It suddenly swung its upraised paw, claws extended, and knocked Tiberius aside.

 

“TIBS!” Bianca cried in fear when she saw blood on the Liepard’s claws. She backed up further, curling tighter around the injured Pokemon. “Go AWAY! Just GO! CHEREN! _CARLY!_ _HELP!”_

 

There was a loud squeal, and Tiberius, now  _ surrounded _ by fire, suddenly slammed into the Liepard’s side, knocking it over. It rolled over, hissing and spitting angrily, while Tiberius squealed threateningly, not noticing the lightly bleeding cut in his side. The Liepard leapt to its feet, clearly ready to go again, but then something else leapt over Tiberius, something much larger, which headbutted the Liepard so hard that it vanished into the trees.

 

“Oh,” Bianca whispered, looking up at the new Pokemon. It  _ had _ to be a Pokemon--it had four long, strong-looking legs and its whole body was pearly white, save for a light blue tail and a big mass off blue and red fur around its head. When it turned to look at her, she saw that it had a short horn on its forehead, and what oddly struck her as a friendly expression. She didn’t feel scared at all as it slowly walked towards her, leaning down to lick the small set of claw marks in Tiberius’ side. Tiberius whined something, staring up at the new Pokemon in awe.

 

“Hey, Tibs, we’re okay now,” Bianca said soothingly, leaning over to pet him and then looking up at the new Pokemon. “Um… thank you?”

 

“No problem,” the Pokemon said. “That bully had it coming. Hey, is that Woobat doing okay?”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 19 _ _ th _ _ , 9:51am _ }

{ _ Route 3 _ }

 

Carlotta heard the kid’s cries echoing before she saw the cave, a crack in the steep face of the mountain starting to rise ahead. She dove inside, stumbling on the rough terrain before she thought to turn on the flashlight in her c-gear. 

 

The light glinted off of water to her left and outlined the fairly small space. There was only one path to follow and she followed it, quickly catching up to the kidnapper, who was facing two people in Plasma’s uniform, carrying lanterns.

 

“-- _ looks _ like a child, but I’m sure she’s--” the kidnapper was saying, before being cut off by one of the Plasmas spotting Carlotta.

 

“Holy shit, it’s you! The Munna-kickers from the Dreamyard!” Carlotta yelled as she got a look at their faces. “Kickin’ a defenceless li’l Pokemon ain’t enough for you, huh?! Why not try fightin’ somebody your own size for once?!” She opened her arms and Owain leapt out, waving his shell and crying out furiously. The child the kidnapper was holding stopped screaming, leaning over his shoulder to stare at Owain, then started yelling again, reaching for the Pokemon.

 

“Back off, kid,” one of the Plasmas snapped, stepping forwards. “The Munna wasn’t important, but this thing  _ is _ .” Her partner also stepped forwards, the two of them releasing three Patrat between them. “This is your last warning, or else we  _ will _ take you down, for the sake of the greater cause!”

 

“What are kidnappers doing, acting so self-righteous?” Cheren panted, running up behind Carlotta. 

 

“Thought I’d lost you, Cher,” Carlotta said, smirking as Sherlock jumped down to stand by Owain’s side, hissing at the trio of Patrat. 

 

“You couldn’t lose me if you wanted to,” Cheren said, rolling his eyes as he straightened up, catching his breath. “We’ve been friends our whole lives. We’ve got each others’ backs when it counts, right?”

 

“You know it,” Carlotta said, high fiving him. “Owain, Razor Shell!”

 

“Enough of this! Bite!” one of the Plasmas yelled, causing all three to leap.

 

“Sherlock, Wrap!” Cheren ordered. Long vines extended from Sherlock’s sides, catching a leaping Patrat in midair and slamming it into a second. Owain took down the third. “Good! Throw them again!”

 

“Make sure it stays down, Owain!” Carlotta yelled. “Razor Shell again!”

 

Sherlock seemed to grow before their very eyes as he produced more vines so he could properly grab two Patrat at once and knock them into each other until they went limp. Owain Razor shelled the third so hard it flew into the water with a  _ splash _ .

 

“Dammit! Where the hell are the--” one of the Plasmas shouted.

 

“Think fast!” Carlotta yelled, grabbing Pijon off of her shoulder and flinging him at the Plasma’s face. Pijon shrieked and clawed at the screaming Plasma as he impacted. “You thought this fight was over just ‘cause we knocked down your Pokemon, fuckers?! You kidnapped a damn kid!”

 

“You wanna fight, kid?!” the Plasma member who wasn’t currently being savaged by Pijon’s remaining claw snarled, starting to draw her sword. It was only halfway out of her scabbard by the time Carlotta had crossed the distance and thrown a full-on punch into the woman’s face, sending her crashing to the ground and the sword flying.

 

The kidnapped kid actually laughed and clapped.

 

“Sherlock, Wrap them!” Cheren ordered, pointing at the two Plasmas. Sherlock looked confused, staring from the two humans to his trainer and chirping. “Sherlock! Wrap!  _ Now _ !” Cheren snapped, pointing again. Finally seeming to get it, Sherlock wrapped the two humans in thick vines, pinning them to the ground. 

 

The kidnapper snatched up the dropped sword, holding it up with a snarl. “Back OFF!” he yelled. “This is none of your damn business! This kid isn’t even human!”

 

“Hey, that’s racist!” Carlotta exclaimed. “Look, hand her over now and you ain’t gonna get punched, promise--whoa whoa whoa!” she yelled frantically as the kidnapper swung the sword up, holding the blade to the kid, who froze, staring wide-eyed at the sword. “Hey, ain’t no need for that!”

 

“Return your Pokemon,  _ now _ ,” the kidnapper ordered.

 

“Carly, we have to do it,” Cheren urged, returning Sherlock. The two Plasmas didn’t get up, settling for curling up and clutching their faces, groaning in pain. “This person’s deluded, he might actually hurt the kid!”

 

“Good,” the kidnapper said, grinning as Carlotta returned Owain and, lacking a pokeball for Pijon, snatched him up and tucked him into her pocket. “Now, just back away down the tunnel there, and we can go our separate ways.”

 

“What’re you gonna do to that kid?” Carlotta demanded. 

 

“Calm down, I told you, this isn’t really a kid,” the kidnapper snapped. “It’s just duplicating a kid to hide. It’s only keeping up appearances to fool you into rescuing it. So just back away and--”

 

“MAMA!” the kid suddenly screamed. “ _ MAAAMAAAAAAAAAA!” _

 

Carlotta turned, the light of her flashlight picking out Sar Saylee emerging from the darkness with a fierce scowl. She was a short woman, but she cast a long shadow, and she was simmering with barely-contained fury.

 

“Stop,” she demanded, pointing at the kidnapper. “Let. Her.  _ Go _ .”

 

“Sar, you may have promised to protect this one, but you don’t understand,” the kidnapper began. “What our leader can achieve with Meloetta’s power--”

 

“Stop,” Sar Saylee said, waving a hand in frustration. “Too fast. Don’t understand. Don’t  _ care _ . Let her  _ go _ .”

 

“Maaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaa,” the kid whimpered, trying to reach for her mother and leaning perilously close to the sword blade. Sar Saylee held out a hand, speaking in sharp, rapid Fairlan as she walked past Carlotta and Cheren, towards her daughter.

 

“I said BACK OFF!” the kidnapper yelled, swinging his sword at Sar Kanto, who ducked the swing, though she was so much shorter than the kidnapper she barely needed to move to avoid his wild swing. She tried to run up and grab her daughter while the kidnapper’s swing was wide open, trying to tug her down and out of the kidnapper’s arms. The kidnapper brought the sword back in, trying to cut at Sar Saylee’s head, but she brought a hand up and caught the blade in it. She winced, and in the flickering lamplight Carlotta could see a dark line run down the sword from her hand and where it cut into her shoulder, but she didn’t move, just snapping something as she reached for her daughter with her free hand. Cheren barked out a laugh.

 

“Cher, what the fuck?” Carlotta whispered.

 

“She told him his sword’s shit, not even properly sharpened,” Cheren muttered. “Though how she noticed that in this light is--holy shit!”

 

The kidnapper was knocked to the ground as a dark figure dropped on his head. Sar Saylee backed away, struggling to hold up her daughter with one arm and then stooping to set the girl on the ground, hugging the kid while she broke into sobs and clutched her mother. The kidnapper was disarmed by the ninja who’d jumped him, who took his sword, spun on her heel and kicked him hard in the chest, causing him to collapse with a gasp.

 

“Sherlock,” Cheren said, releasing his Pokemon again, “Wrap.” Sherlock seemed to get the picture quicker this time, wrapping the groaning Plasmas and the semiconscious kidnapper in strong green vines.

 

“Um… Sar?” Carlotta said, releasing Owain again. “We’ll keep an eye on them until the cops show up, you should probably… Cheren? Help me out here?”

 

Cheren spoke quickly with the Champion. Sar Saylee nodded at the ninja, holding out her hand and taking the sword in her unhurt hand, gesturing for the ninja to pick up and carry the still-crying kid. 

 

“ _ Domo arigatou gozaimasu… _ Thank you very much,” Sar Kanto said, bowing her head and walking out of the cave, followed by the ninja, who was rocking the kid and gently humming.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 19 _ _ th _ _ , 9:56am _ }

{ _ Route 3 _ }

 

“Bianca!” Warren yelled, spotting the blonde stumbling out of the trees, holding Tiberius in one arm and a bundle of blue and black in the other. “Oh thank goodness. You’re alright! Where are Cheren an’ Carly?”

 

“I dunno, I lost ‘em… what happened at the nursery?” Bianca said, looking disoriented. 

 

“The evil ninjas ran away all of a sudden,” Warren said, “and much as I love gettin’ to say that sentence, that ain’t important. What happened? Where did you go? What’s that you got there?”

 

“I found her… her name’s Wilhelmina,” Bianca mumbled, looking down. “She got hurt, but I healed her with them potions you gave me, and… I saw another Pokemon…” She bit her lip, then looked up at Warren. “Warren… ya ever met a talkin’ Pokemon?”

 

“What? What’re you--hey!” he cried, his train of enquiry completely derailed by the sight of Sar Saylee, carrying a bloodied sword and trailed by a ninja carrying a child. “‘Scuse me! Uh,  _ sumimasen _ ! Have you seen Carlotta and Cheren--holy shit, are you okay?!”

 

Sar Saylee looked at her left hand, which was twitching and dripping blood, then waved it dismissively and pointed her sword back down the path that she and the ninja had come up. “Your friends,” she said, pointing the sword more insistently down the path. 

 

“Thank you,” Warren said, tugging Bianca’s wrist. “C’mon, let’s go get ‘em.”

 

“Thanks!” Bianca called, waving as they ran past. Sar Saylee did a double-take, staring at Bianca as they went past, but it didn’t register to Warren, too focused on finding his sister and boyfriend.

 

It didn’t take them long. The path led directly to a cave, and Carlotta and Cheren weren’t far inside, idly chatting as Carlotta tossed and caught a delightedly squawking Pijon repeatedly. 

 

“You ain’t gonna  _ believe _ what  _ we _ saw,” Carlotta said when she spotted Warren and Bianca. 

 

“Wanna bet?” Bianca giggled nervously.

  
  


{ _ Reshin 19 _ _ th _ _ , 13:04pm _ }

{ _ Striaton City Police HQ _ }

 

“They’re still interrogating them, but it looks like the nursery aide has been a member of the Plasma Foundation the whole time,” Saylee sighed, resting her forehead on her good hand, both out of need for support and to stop herself from picking at the stitches and gel on her left hand. “He’s been regularly processing fake adoptions to give abandoned Pokemon to Plasma for  _ three years _ , and they called on him to kidnap Lettie… they thought  _ she _ was Meloetta.”

 

“ _ Who got hurt this time? _ ” Silver demanded. 

 

“I have a little cut, it’s nothing, it’s already being treated,” Saylee inisted, raising her left hand. “They must just have those swords for intimidation or something, they’re not sharp at all. Probably going to have a scar, but hey, matched set. Lettie’s uninjured, just terrified…” She sighed again, rubbing her eyes. “Scared the wits out of all of us.”

 

“ _ Ninjas in  _ Unova _...  _ “ Silver mused. Saylee hadn’t mentioned ninjas yet, but didn’t ask how he knew that. He and Red texted daily, and even if they hadn’t exchanged any messages--unlikely, since Silver had probably tried to call their brother as soon as Red got upset to see what had happened--sometimes he just  _ knew _ things that Red knew without being told. “ _ What are you going to do? _ ”

 

“Cut out some of our visits to places with less security, negotiate to transfer over more of the security team’s Pokemon, or even some of mine or Blue’s,” Saylee said grimly. “And try to find out something about Plasma Foundation. There’s clearly more going on here than just rescuing abandoned Pokemon and giving speeches…”

 

“ _ I’m already suspicious of the speeches. _ ”

 

“ _ I _ give speeches,” Saylee pointed out.

 

“ _ No, you give press statements and the occasional official address, and you look horribly uncomfortable in all of them, _ ” Silver responded. “ _ People who  _ like _ giving big, dramatic speeches and aren’t in cheesy movies are suspicious assholes. If, like, the kidnapping thing wasn’t obvious enough. _ ”

 

“True,” Saylee said, rolling her eyes. “And there’s more… more than Meloetta around. I haven’t gotten to ask her yet. But I saw a girl today… not ascended yet, but an Avatar. But I also saw her yesterday, and she  _ wasn’t _ . She’s been  _ chosen _ between yesterday and today…  Something divine is going on here, something’s changing. Silver… do you know about any gods native to Unova?”

 

“ _ Most of them aren’t native to anywhere, _ ” Silver pointed out. “ _ There’s some that mostly live in Unova, though, like the dragons, and the last time Ho-oh heard anything from the weather triad, they were in Unova… I dunno, I’ll check it out. Also, I’m sending Suicune to stalk you. Don’t argue. They’re already halfway across the ocean. They’ll help keep you safe. _ ”

 

“I’m  _ already _ defended, but they expected and planned for Koga’s team,” Saylee pointed out. “Having a discreet ace up my sleeve that they can’t see coming… thanks, Silver. I can’t end the tour at this point and I  _ really _ don’t want to be separated from Scarlet, especially not right after what happened, so knowing Suicune’s nearby will help more than I can say.”

 

“ _ Anytime, _ ” Silver promised. “ _ What the hell kind of god is Meloetta, anyway, letting kids get kidnapped right under their nose? That’s the perfect time to smite! Moments like that are  _ made _ for smiting!” _

 

“I don’t know if you’re physiologically capable of this, but  _ please _ chill,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “You and Ho-oh both, if this is some kind of long-running divine issue. She doesn’t seem to be all that powerful in a combat sense. Her strengths are… something else.”

 

“ _ Unless her divine energies tend towards preventing my damn niece from getting kidnapped, I don’t care, _ ” Silver said stubbornly. Saylee smiled. “ _ I’ll see what I can find out about these Plasma fucks, too. Especially the speech guy--what did you say his name was? Gaycheese? _ ”

 

“Ghetsis,” Saylee corrected him, “and please do. Thank you, Silver.”

 

“ _ It’s nothing, _ ” Silver mumbled, ducking his head momentarily. “ _ Just do your job and try to effect political change in Unova, right _ ?”

 

“Right,” Saylee promised, blowing a kiss at the camera. “Love you.”

 

“ _ Yeah, yeah, love you too, _ ” Silver said, hanging up. 

 

Saylee smiled at the screen a moment longer, then sighed heavily, stood up, stretched, and headed back to the observation room where she could watch the interrogations of the people who’d kidnapped her daughter.

 

_ You have one working fist right now, don’t put the other one through a camera. One working fist, don’t put the other through a camera. One working fist, don’t put the other one through a camera… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaand the new laptop charger has arrived, and we’re back! Next chapter will be in two weeks, as per usual. I’m glad I FINALLY got to get to the events of this chapter--given how long it went, probably a good thing I didn’t try to fit all of this and what was in chapter 7 into one whole chapter XD
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Dewott, Loyal the Lillipup, Paden the Pansear  
> Name: Pijon. Species: Pidove. Nature: Rash. Ability: Big Pecks. Location: Route 3. Level: 8  
> Name: Roland. Species: Roggenrola. Nature: Modest. Ability: Sturdy. Location: Wellspring Cave. Level: 12
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Packard the Patrat, Pine the Pansage  
> Name: Wilhelmina. Species: Woobat. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Klutz. Location: Wellspring Cave. Level: 10
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Servine, Priscilla the Purrloin, Poncho the Panpour  
> Name: Peabean. Species: Pidove. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Big Pecks. Location: Route 3. Level: 10  
> Name: Rocky. Species: Roggenrola. Nature: Bashful. Ability: Sturdy. Location: Wellspring Cave. Level: 11


	9. Nacrene City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca discovers something in a gift shop. Cheren makes a trade. Warren gets them lost. Carlotta gets protective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 5 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 5 Deaths: 1  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 2

{ _ Reshin 19 _ _ th _ _ , 6:17pm _ }

{ _ Route 3 _ }

 

“Was this it?” Cheren said, showing the image on his screen to Bianca. “Zebstrika?”

 

“No,” Bianca said, shaking her head. “I  _ told _ you, it was all white an’ red an’ blue. And it  _ talked _ .”

 

“Maybe there was a Chatot nearby?” Carlotta suggested. “Or a trainer you couldn’t see?”

 

“ _ No!” _ Bianca argued in frustration. “I’m  _ tellin’ _ y’all, I really  _ saw _ a real weird Pokemon that  _ spoke to me _ ! An’ he… or she… or somethin’, I dunno… they told me Mina’s  _ name _ , and…” The Woobat perked up at the word “Mina”, clearly recognizing her name. She was sitting by the fire with Tiberius, squeaking with her new, and only, teammate.

 

“Y’know, I don’t get why you kept her when you were insistin’ so hard on leavin’ Pine an’ Packard at the nursery,” Carlotta said, resting her chin on her hands with a sigh. “You coulda had a good team goin’.”

 

“I don’t get why  _ y’all _ kept your two,” Bianca murmured. “They were  _ abused _ . Just ‘cause they get along with y’all now don’t mean they wanna fight. But Mina said she liked me an’ Tibby wanted to stay, so I’m keepin’ ‘em. You sure them Pokemon you adopted wanna fight? I mean, your Purrloin sure don’t...”

 

“Those two Roggenrola weren’t allowed near the kids because they fight so much, and the Pidove we picked up were also left by trainers,” Cheren pointed out. “In fact, once we’ve finished dinner, I recommend some training matches so we can get a better feel for their abilities.”

 

“While  _ I _ am going to  _ nap _ ,” Warren groaned, flopping backwards onto the grass. “It felt like we were in that police station  _ forever _ .”

 

“Six hours,” Cheren corrected him.

 

“ _ So many statements, _ ” Warren mumbled into the arm he’d flung over his face.

 

“Hey, at least we ain’t gonna be on the news,” Carlotta said, patting Bianca’s shoulder. “I mean, they’re doin’ their best to keep it quiet ‘cause they don’t wanna admit foreign dignitaries are gettin’ their kids kidnapped around here, so your folks won’t see nothin’ about us, probably.”

 

“We’re media minors, they couldn’t put us on the news anyway without parental consent, which they will not get without us directing them to our parents,” Cheren said, standing up and releasing Sherlock, Priscilla, Poncho the Panpour, and his new acquisitions, Peabean the Pidove and Rocky the Roggenrola.

 

“Bring it on,” Carlotta hooted, releasing Owain, Loyal, Paden the Pansear, Pijon the Pidove and Roland the Roggenrola. “I’m thinkin’ I can get an evolution outta Loyal an’ maybe Pijon by the end of the night!”

 

“You don’t have to join them if you don’t want to, Bianca,” Warren said, patting Bianca’s shoulder as she watched Tiberius and Mina. “But it might be a good idea to evolve Tiberius before taking on the next gym.”

 

“Yeah… maybe,” Bianca said, resting her chin on her knees. “Warren? You don’t think I’m crazy or nothin’, do you?”

 

“I don’t,” Warren assured her immediately. “I think… you saw something you don’t fully understand, but none of us can say what because we didn’t see it. Who knows? Maybe you’ll see it again.”

 

“I sure hope so,” Bianca said softly. “They promised.”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 20 _ _ th _ _ , 11:24am _ }

{ _ Nacrene City _ }

 

“Oh my goodness,” Bianca gasped, clasping her hands to her chest. “It’s  _ amazin’ _ !”

 

“It really is,” Cheren agreed. “I haven’t been here in person myself. Pictures don’t quite capture it, do they? It wasn’t originally a residential area, you know.”

 

“Here we go,” Carlotta said with a grin.

 

“Hush up an’ let ‘im nerd,” Warren hissed. Bianca was already enraptured.

 

“Originally, this area was part of was miles and miles of warehouses and factories that had been built during the industrial boom, then begun lying empty during the bust.” Cheren explained. “The many drifting, homeless unemployed had moved in, and many had taken to decorating their new homes. Though there were a few clearouts, once the place got an artistic reputation, it didn’t take long for famous artists to start considering it trendy and buying up property there, converting the warehouses into lofts and workshops. For a while, the city was priced far out of the range of the squatters who’d originally given it its reputation, but the work of a few philanthropists and the sands of time have now given the city real variety. People from all layers of society live here now, with one unifying trait--they’re almost all highly creative sorts. Painters, sculptors, musicians… I believe Burgh, the Castelia City Leader, originally comes from here.”

 

“It’s  _ beautiful _ ,” Bianca cooed, gazing up at a mural of Reshiram and Zekrom took up the entire, vast side of one warehouse building. 

 

“Well, lucky for you, Carly an’ me’ve been here once before, an’ we know where the good souvenir shoppin’ is,” Warren said, leading them through the buzz of summer tourists. They drifted in and out of the clouds of music created by buskers, just far apart that they never seemed to clash, occasionally accompanied by dancers or jugglers or other performers. Bianca was enraptured, wanting to stay and watch every one, and Warren knew his boyfriend well enough to know that Cheren was also fascinated by the performers but was happier to hide behind the excuse of doing what made Bianca happy. 

 

It took them over an hour to get to the first shop that Warren remembered from their trip to Nacrene, a beautiful handicrafts shop that took up a good-sized space on the bottom floor of one warehouse, though part of it was also the workshop, where customers could actually see the artists who sold their wares working. 

 

“Oh, ain’t these lovely?” Bianca said, examining some rugs. “These are all, like… Native Unovan styled, right?”

 

“That would be because all of us who own and sell in this shop are Native Unovan,” the woman weaving at a loom next to the rugs said without looking up.

 

“Huh?” Bianca said, staring at the woman in confusion. “You’re Native Unovan?”

 

“Well, yeah,” the woman said, looking up and crooking an eyebrow. She had the long, black hair, copper-toned skin and strong nose classically associated with Native Unovans, so Warren could understand her mild confusion at Bianca’s surprise.

 

“It’s just… I thought y’all got wiped out, like, a thousand years ago,” Bianca said, still looking confused. “I thought y’all didn’t exist anymore ‘cause of civilization movin’ in.”

 

“Oh. My gods. Did you even  _ have _ history class?” Cheren groaned, putting one hand over his eyes and steering Bianca away with the other. “Ma’am, I am very sorry about this.”

 

“She just escaped a  _ very _ religious household,” Carlotta explained.

 

“It’s fine,” the woman said, in a way that suggested that it wasn’t, really, but it was too much trouble to get into with these customers. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to finish this rug.” 

 

“Bianca, the Native Unovans were  _ never _ wiped out, despite the ancient colonial governments’ best attempts,” Cheren sighed, “but it could be said to be a touchy subject and somewhat disrespectful to bring up to a complete stranger.”

 

“Oh, no,” Bianca gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth. “I gotta go apologize!”

 

“You weren’t to know, Bianca,” Carlotta said, putting an arm around her shoulders and giving her a little hug. “They’d probably prefer if you didn’t blow it up into a whole thing. Just move on, and now you know better for the future, huh?”

 

“I’ve gotta buy somethin’ nice,” Bianca decided, digging into her purse to see how nice she could afford. 

 

“I think the least we can do is spend some money here,” Cheren agreed, looking at a selection of small sculptures. “These look to be in our price range. They’re mostly mythological Pokemon, or Pokemon that were once thought to be gods--”

 

“Oh!” Bianca gasped, running after him and pointing at one of the figures on the shelf. “That’s it!  _ That’s _ the Pokemon I saw!”

 

“Wait, what?” Carlotta asked, leaning over her shoulder to look. Warren also came to have a closer look. 

 

The figurine was about three inches tall, carved out of wood and unpainted, but polished to make the detail clear. It looked like a Rapidash with the mane of an Arcanine, but with rounder, stockier features. 

 

“Hmmm,” Cheren said, peering at the figure, then picking it up carefully and looking at the base for an inscription. “I… don’t believe I recognize this one. Are you certain?”

 

“Yeah! It was all white, with all this--” Bianca ran a finger over the mane-- “all red an’ blue!”

 

“All the artists work in here, let’s find the carver an’ ask ‘im,” Carlotta suggested, walking to the end of the shelf and peering around it. “‘Scuse me, sir, all these carvin’s your work?”

 

“Yes, they are,” a deep voice on the other side said. They walked around the shelf to see a surprisingly small and delicate man for what a deep voice he had, whittling nonstop at a block of wood while he talked to Carlotta.

 

“Sorry to interrupt your work, but could you tell us which Pokemon this is, please?” Cheren asked, holding out the figure. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize it at all.”

 

“Most don’t,” the man said, glancing at the figure with a smile. “We don’t know their name, but we call them The Little One. You know of the the Three Warriors--the ones your people call the Swords of Justice?”

 

“Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion,” Cheren immediately rattled off. “Fabled defenders of Pokemon.”

 

“Those three are famous, but a legend less known these days is that with every battle they lose, they gain a new soldier,” the carver explained, still whittling. “Once there was one, then two, then three… now there are four, but the balance has not fallen far enough to call their wrath down on us, so The Little One’s powers and name are as yet unknown. But they’re seen around, every so often. My grandmother saw them, as a child, even spoke to them, briefly.”

 

“See!” Bianca exclaimed. “I  _ told _ you it spoke to me!”

 

“Bianca, it’s a  _ myth _ \--” Cheren began.

 

“Now, hang on, young lady,” the whittler said, finally setting down his wood and staring intently at Bianca. “You say that you  _ saw _ The Little One? Even spoke to them?” He looked at the pokeballs on her belt. “I would never expect one of The Warriors to favour a  _ trainer _ …”

 

“Well… I was healin’ a hurt wild Pokemon I found,” Bianca explained. “An’ then this other wild Pokemon attacked us, an’ I tried to protect it, then, um… The Little One came an’ protected me. An’ they spoke to me. They said…” She bit her lip. “Um. It’s a secret. Sorry.”

 

“My grandmother would never speak of what The Little One said to her, either,” the whittler mused. “Aint’ that something.”

 

“What is happening?” Warren whispered to Carlotta.

 

“I have no idea,” Carlotta whispered back as Bianca started digging out money to buy the statuette, “but Bianca knew that thing even when  _ Cheren’s _ never seen it before.”

 

“You think she really might’ve…?” Warren said, nodding at the statuette.

 

“I don’t think it’s really what that guy thinks it is,” Carlotta murmured, “but Bianca definitely saw  _ somethin _ ’ not normal…”

 

{ _ Reshin 20 _ _ th _ _ , 5:36pm _ }

{ _ Nacrene City _ }

  
  


“I think we took a wrong turn somewhere,” Cheren said, pulling up a map again on his c-gear. They’d definitely wandered off the beaten path--there wasn’t anybody else walking down the road they were on. “You know, they really ought to use the murals on the buildings as landmarks.”

 

“Nah, they change ‘em every so often,” Warren said, shaking his head. “Some of ‘em ain’t  _ murals _ so much as super-fancy graffiti.”

 

“Tourism could hire a guy to keep the maps updated, though,” Carlotta pointed out. “I’d do it. Sounds like a sweet job.”

 

“That don’t exist,” Warren pointed out. 

 

“I think I hear a voice,” Cheren said, glancing up at the nearest building and then at the sculpture garden in front of it. “Excuse me?” he called.

 

“Hello?” a little voice called from behind a sculpture.

 

“Excuse me, but we’re lost,” Cheren said, walking around the sculpture. “Are your parents… around…?”

 

“What’s--oh,” Bianca said, following Cheren and pausing when she saw what made him trail off. The kid on the other side was in a wheelchair, but not the regular sort for just going about your life in. It was a huge mass of monitors, tanks and tubes that the little girl it was all connected to was almost lost in all the equipment. The kid herself was skeletally skinny.

 

In front of her sat a little Petlil, playing with some leaves it had picked up, using its powers to make them dance. It dropped the leaves at the sight of the new humans.

 

“My mom’s working late, but I bet one of the nurses can help you,” the girl said, ducking her head shyly from their gazes. She pressed a button on the arm of her wheelchair. “One’ll be out in a minute.”

 

“Thanks very much,” Warren said, smiling. “Real kind of you. Hey, little thing,” he added, waving at the Petlil. 

 

“Hey, are y’all trainers?” the little girl asked, pointing to Angus’ pokeball, which Warren had strapped to the shoulderpad of his bag.

 

“Sure are!” Carlotta said, showing off her own pokeballs.

 

“ _ Coooooool _ ,” the girl breathed, her eyes lighting up. “I really wanna be a trainer an’ travel with Lilli an’ see the world, but…” She trailed off, having to take a mask to breathe into for a minute, the excited rush of words too much for her. “I’m not gonna get to travel,” she said in a tiny voice. 

 

“You wanna meet our Pokemon?” Bianca suggested, releasing Mina and Tiberius. “They’re real friendly!”

 

“Hi,” the girl said, giggling as Mina gave her a heart-shaped kiss on the cheek. “They’re real sweet!”

 

“They sure are,” Warren said, releasing Angus and glancing at Cheren and Carlotta. “Do y’all have any Pokemon that are gentle enough to be around this kid?” he hissed.

 

“Um… no,” Carlotta said, running a hand over her pokeballs.

 

“I think I have one, actually,” Cheren said, releasing Priscilla. The Purrloin immediately leapt up and curled up on the little girl’s lap for a nap. “Priscilla, careful! She’s not hurting you, is she?”

 

“No! She’s real light… and real warm,” the girl said happily, gently stroking Priscilla’s fur. “I get chills a lot. I’d love to have a real furry one like her.” Priscilla purred loudly as the girl kept petting her. 

 

“Well… why don’t you keep her?” Cheren suggested with a sigh. “To be honest, I’ve never been able to make a fighter of her. Looks like lap-warmer is her life’s dream.”

 

“Really?!” the little girl said excitedly. “You’d just… give her to me? Just like that?”

 

“What’s all the commotion about?” a nurse said, walking across the lawn towards them. “Denise, do you know these people?”

 

“This trainer said I can have his Purrloin!” Denise squeaked, getting so excited her breathing started to get laboured and she had to reach for her mask again.

 

“Breathe in and out, hon, it’s real excitin’, I know, but you’ve gotta relax,” the nurse said soothingly, glancing at Cheren. “You know her?”

 

“No, we were passing by and just asked for directions,” Cheren said. “But really, all that Purrloin does is sleep. I think she’d be happier with Denise here, and Denise certainly seems happy.”

 

“Well… we do have a station for processing gift Pokemon, and we will have to look her over before letting Denise spend too much time around her,” the nurse said, softening a little at how wide Denise was grinning. “But I think, with her mother’s permission, we can do that. Come on inside and we can process that, okay? Is it a trade or just a gift?”

 

“Just a gift--” Cheren began.

 

“No, we should trade!” Denise insisted. “Trainers trade so their Pokemon can have all sorts of new experiences, right? I want you to take Lilli with you!” The little Petilil perked up at the sound of her name. “You’re goin’ to all sorts of cool places, right? You’ve gotta, to take the gyms, right?”

 

“That’s right!” Carlotta said, showing off her Striaton gym badge. “We’ve got a lot of travelling ahead of us.”

 

“So… take Lilli with you!” Denise insisted. “Just… take her all the places I can’t, okay?”

 

“...I’d be happy to trade with you,” Cheren offered, “on the condition that you let me send you pictures of Lilli in all of the cool places we go, okay?”

 

“You will  _ definitely _ need her mother’s permission for that,” the nurse said, leaning down so he could pick up Lilli and start wheeling Denise inside, “but I think it sounds lovely.”

 

“You softie,” Warren said, kissing Cheren on the cheek.

 

{ _ Reshin 20 _ _ th _ _ , 6:43pm _ }

{ _ Nacrene City _ }

 

“Seriously, Cheren, that was the  _ sweetest _ ,” Bianca was still gushing as they walked into the Pokemon Centre, having finally been directed on their way by Denise’s delighted mother, who had offered them her instagram account to send pictures to in lieu of giving strangers a direct line to her eight-year-old. 

 

“Well, last night you pointed out that Priscilla simply isn’t a fighter,” Cheren said with a shrug. “Now she gets to sleep all she wants and that girl gets a reliable therapy Pokemon.”

 

“And you gotta carry around a Pokemon that you gotta be careful about ever usin’ to fight ‘cause if she gets hurt you gotta tell that to a terminally ill little girl,” Carlotta said teasingly.

 

“I can manage just fine with a team of five,” Cheren said loftily.

 

“Bianca D’Artagnan?”

 

“Yeah?” Bianca said, turning around.

 

“Don’t answer that--damn,” Carlotta muttered, immediately moving between Bianca and the dark-haired man in a brown longcoat who’d approached her. “What do you want, pal?”

 

“Well, I just wanted to know if she was really Bianca D’artagnan,” the man said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card that declared him a private detective. “The name’s Perivale. Ace Perivale. I’ve been hired by your parents to find you, Miss D’artagnan.”

 

Warren and Cheren immediately joined Carlotta in forming a protective human wall. “You cannot force Bianca to go anywhere,” Cheren pointed out. “She is legally independent.”

 

“Technically, you also legally can’t stop me from calling her parents right now,” Ace said, though he showed no motion towards making a call. “I would, however, like to hear your side of the story, why you left and why your parents are so protective.”

 

“Um, because they’re Romrams?” Warren said scathingly. “Doesn’t that say it all? They’re homophobic, transphobic, racist, ableist…. Everything bad, really.”

 

“I gathered,” Ace deadpanned.

 

“An’ they were startin’ to set up marriage meetin’s,” Bianca mumbled. “I don’t wanna marry any of them boys from the church.”

 

“They can’t legally compel you to get married, Miss D’Artagnan,” Ace pointed out.

 

“No, but they’ll drag me to the meetin’s  _ anyway _ and ignore me sayin’ I ain’t interested an’ send out invites and start plannin’ and it’ll be the goddamn day and they’ll be guilt-trippin’ an’ harrassin’ me ta get into the dress ‘cause they already did all that work an’ their ears went an’ erased every time I said I didn’t wanna do it, and ain’t I such a  _ horrible _ ,  _ selfish _ daughter!” Bianca burst out. “I ain’t  _ goin _ ’! You call ‘em, an’ all I’ll do is run away again!”

 

“I understand,” Ace said, holding up a hand. His blue eyes were sparkling with what looked like… amusement? “They came off as a real pair of pricks when I first met them, AND on their daily calls demanding updates, but I was really hoping that was just been out of worry.”

 

“Nope, that’s how they are,” Carlotta said, folding her arms and tensing her muscles. She had been slacking off a little on her own training in favour of training her new Pokemon, but she was still pretty confident that she could break the guy’s neck with a flex and she wanted to make damn sure he knew it. 

 

“We know you have a job to do, Mr Perivale--”

 

“Sir, actually,” Ace said with a grin, flashing a necklace with some kind of heavy pendant on it, like that was supposed to mean anything, though of course Cheren seemed to recognize it.

 

“...Well,  _ Sir _ , we know you have a job to do,” Cheren said, raising an eyebrow. “But if you agree that trying to reunite Bianca with her parents would be awful…”

 

“Now, young man, I am a professional, and the D’Artagnans are paying me  _ extremely _ well to find their little girl,” Ace said, shaking his head. “They are paying me, by the day, very, very well, and they’d have to be absolutely awful for me to not feel unconscionable about continuing to take their money without giving them any updates… so, thanks for that.” He tucked his necklace away again. “They’re essentially funding another investigation of mine that I personally rank as more important. Just be forewarned that they might hire somebody else if they get tired of my lack of progress, Miss D’Artagnan. Enjoy your time in Nacrene.”

 

“Hey, how’d you find us, anyway?” Carlotta demanded. 

 

“Oh, I’ve spent a couple days just jumping around between Pokemon Centres, keeping an eye out,” Ace said with a shrug. “Runaway teenagers, I figured it was that or I’d have to start scouring for campers. And truth be told, when you walked in you all caught my eye. You have a very distinct aura, Miss D’Artagnan.”

 

“Um… thank you?” Bianca said in confusion. Ace just waved and walked off. 

 

“...Well, at least we know he’s not a Romram,” Warren said, sounding nonplussed. “He’s one of those aura hippies.”

 

“So… should we be runnin’ away to another city or what?” Bianca said, wiping frightened tears out of her eyes.

 

“I… think we go find a camping spot by the train tracks, just in case,” Carlotta suggested. “Even if that guy’s not gonna sell you to your parents, he’s gondamn  _ weird. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sir Ace Perivale belongs to ShinigamiMaster on FFnet! Thank you very much for letting me use him! He’ll be back quite quickly ;) Because… this was another chapter I had to split in two because it was just getting too damn long, even at twice the length of my old style of chapters. I. Uh. May not be good at estimating chapter lengths. Who even knows how long this is gonna be now XP
> 
> This is also my first time writing approximations of Native American characters, so as usual, if I’m fucking up at all, let me know? 
> 
> Okay, confession number 1: Pine died in the Plasma fight in Wellspring Cavern, and original drafts did have Plasma kill Pine during the kidnapping, but arranging the scene and getting Bianca to meet Keldeo meant that ultimately, it just didn’t flow. Nothing bad happened to Packard, but I ended up boxing him in favour of other Pokemon a little while after this and he was really not central to any events in the meantime, so this was a good, peaceful way to send him off and also give Bianca a break for a damn minute  
> Confession number 2: Priscilla also did die but that happened while catching the Cottonnee Key traded for a Petlil and she didn’t take that thing’s details so given Priscilla’s pre-existing characterization it made more sense to trade her away :P THEY’VE EACH GOTTEN ONE. Carlotta gets one and then that’s IT.   
> Confession number 3: I could’ve finished this on time but I went shopping at the Pokemon Mega Centre in Ikebukuro instead and bought too many plushies. Apologies for the schedule slip but I’m planning to get ahead of it while I’m on holiday next week!
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Dewott, Loyal the Herdier, Paden the Pansear, Pijon the Tranquil, Roland the Roggenrola
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Wilhelmina the Woobat  
> RIP Pine the Pansage, level 10-14
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Servine, Poncho the Panpour, Rocky the Roggenrola  
> Name: Lilli. Species: Petlil. Nature: Modest. Ability: Chlorophyll. Location: Nacrene City. Level: 15  
> RIP Priscilla the Purrloin, level 3-21


	10. Pinwheel Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A signal, a sketchbook and a skull are all lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 5 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 5 Deaths: 2  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 2

{ _ Reshin 20 _ _ th _ _ , 8:29pm _ }

{ _ Nacrene City _ }

 

“This place kinda reminds me of that movie,” Carlotta said, patiently performing crunches, “Y’know, the one where that guy was trainin’ by pullin’ a train?”

 

“Carly, that is  _ so _ many superhero movies, you’re gonna hafta be more specific than that,” Warren pointed out, side-eying the ancient, rusted metal that barely peeked through the grass. “Is it weird that, even though a train obviously ain’t run here for hundreds of years, I’m kinda anxious ‘bout sleepin’ here?”

 

“You’re a worrywart, Warren,” Cheren said fondly, checking the time on his pokegear. “Now sssshhhh.  _ Save the World _ is on.” He projected a screen up from his C-gear and settled back, his arms folded behind his head and his C-gear sitting on his stomach to display the slightly transparent image.

 

“Ooh, what’s that?” Bianca whispered, lying on her stomach in the grass to get an angle where she could see the screen too.

 

“Nerd show,” Warren said, lying down next to Cheren. 

 

“They debunk pseudoscience, interview experts in various fields and investigate groundbreaking new research,” Cheren murmured, “and this week they are interviewing  _ the  _ Professor _ Oak,  _ so  _ sssshhhh. _ ”

 

“Hey, that’s Professor Juniper!” Carlotta gasped, pointing at the screen and immediately getting shushed by the other three. “Well, it  _ is _ !”

 

Professor Juniper was sitting around a table with a brown-haired Fairlan woman and an older man with silver hair and a bow tie. “-- _ Because tonight, we’re looking at some research that could potentially blow everything that we know about Pokemon out of the water--if it can be proven _ !” the older man was saying. “ _ I’m here tonight with Unova’s own Professor Aurea Juniper, who’s a little skeptical, and the originator of Energy Field Theory, Professor Daisy Oak. Now, may be a surprise to those of you who know that these ladies are on opposite sides of this debate, but you studied together, didn’t you?” _

 

_ “Well, we didn’t exactly go to school together, _ ” Professor Juniper laughed.

 

“ _ I did most of my studies over the internet, _ ” Professor Oak said, the Unovan translation from a translator patch on her jacket overlaying her Fairlan words after a moment. “ _ Aurea was often on fieldwork with her father, so attended many of the same digital classes I did. We disagreed often then, too _ !”

 

“ _ I do want to go into this saying that, for all that, and despite some sensationalizing gossip, I’ve never thought of Daisy as an enemy,” _ Professor Juniper said, holding up a hand.  _ “Sometimes I’ve been wrong, and would’ve been too assured of my own cleverness to admit it without her calling me out so well--and sometimes, she’s been wrong, but to prove it, I had to learn to prove my point better. _ ”

 

“ _ Oh, I think you were wrong a little more often, but who’s keeping count _ ?” Professor Oak said with a mischievous smile. 

 

“ _ It’s only 51 to 50, Oak, and I might get to even the score tonight, _ ” Professor Juniper laughed.

 

“ _ 51 to 49. ‘I bet I can pick up this Crustle without getting pinched’ doesn’t count as a debate, Juniper. _ ”

 

“ _ Ladies, _ ” the host laughed. “ _ Professor Oak, care to give us an overview of your Energy Field hypothesis? You’ll note, attentive viewers, we’ve switched up our usual running order and gone for an interview first,”  _ he added, looking to the audience _ , “given how the nature of this theory is that it’s… difficult to prove. _ ”

 

“ _ But not impossible, _ ” Professor Oak said firmly. “ _ I’m not finished yet. But Pokemon have been mysteries from time immemorial. We’ve slowly begun to unravel the odd way that Pokemon grow and mature, controlled by stimuli rather than time, and have many working hypotheses on how they can generate quantities of, say, water that far exceed their own mass, but by and large when it comes to Pokemon we tend to only know  _ what _ works and not  _ why.  _ But I think that may be because we’ve fundamentally misunderstood what Pokemon  _ are _ , by assuming that they are purely organic beings, the same as humans. _ ”

 

“Well, what does any of  _ that _ mean?” Bianca whispered.

 

“Means we don’t actually know that much ‘bout Pokemon, even after all this time,” Warren whispered. “One of the reasons I got into studyin’ Pokemon medicine. Just studyin’ Pokemon biology is weird and  _ super _ interestin’.”

 

“Sssh, question time after,” Cheren muttered. 

 

“ _ \--hypothesis is that there exists an energy field that humans are not part of, but Pokemon are,” _ Professor Oak was saying. “ _ Converting that energy into matter is something they can do naturally, rather than relying on technology as we do. They can do it to heal injuries in extremis, or add to their own mass with rushed evolutions, or convert it to fire, water, leaves, and so forth. _ ”

 

“ _ Which, if true, does neatly tie up a great many mysteries about Pokemon biology, _ ” Professor Juniper agreed. “ _ And I’m definitely interested in experimenting to find some way to detect this energy--”  _ The image froze, silent and flickering.

 

“Gondamn signal,” Cheren muttered, waving his C-gear up in the air. “Can’t stream video worth a damn.”

 

“You can download and watch it next time we’re in a Pokemon Centre,” Warren reminded him.

 

“I’m sorry… we coulda stayed in one tonight if I didn’t speak to that guy,” Bianca said guilty.

 

“Sssshhh, no takin’ the blame for nonsense ain’t your fault,” Carlotta ordered, putting a finger to Bianca’s lips. “Hell, new rule: you ain’t allowed to take the blame for anythin’, ever. Nothin’ is your fault. Official. Understood?”

 

Bianca opened her mouth, then froze, staring wide-eyed over Carlotta’s shoulder. “What is it?” Cheren said, sitting up and looking past Carlotta, scanning the overgrown debris strewn around the old trainyard. It was difficult to see much at night, even with the flashlights, just a vague sense of the way the lumpy shadows around them textured the darkness.

 

Then, in the bushes, the lights of a flashlight glinted off of two small eyes.

 

“What is  _ that _ ?” Carlotta asked, zeroing in her flashlight and releasing Owain, who brandished his scallop defensively at the source of the eyes, which just blinked slowly at him.

 

“It’s a Banette?” Cheren said in surprise, opening his pokedex. “It’s a ghost, quite a rare one…”

 

“A ghost, huh? Now  _ that’d _ be somethin’ for a champion’s team!” Carlotta said excitedly. “Owain, don’t hit it too hard! Razor Shell!”

 

Owain leapt forwards with a mighty squeak, slashing at the shadowy Pokemon. The Banette vanished, with a rustle, into the bushes.

 

“Hey!” Carlotta yelled, chasing after it with Owain.

 

“Carly!” Warren yelled, chasing his sister. “Don’t go chasin’ after a  _ ghost _ in the  _ dark _ !”

 

Cheren caught Bianca’s eye and sighed. “Come on, then,” he said, scooping up his bag. “We might as well go after them.”

 

They didn’t have to go far. The Banette had scuttled behind the bushes and into an old rail car that was turned on its side and almost completely overgrown with bushes and turf. There was something melancholy about the fallen machine, like it was a fallen skeleton, wishing to be left to sleep rather than be disturbed.

 

“There you are!” Carlotta cried, tackling the Banette herself and actually grabbing it in her arms, where it flailed and squeaked frantically.

 

“Carlotta, don’t  _ grab _ a wild  _ Pokemon _ !” Cheren said in exasperation.

 

There was a faint sob, and it didn’t sound like a Pokemon. Something about the sob cut straight to the heart. “Hey, guys?” Bianca said, looking around, clutching her chest as she felt suddenly, terribly afraid.

 

“I heard it too,” Warren said with a frown, shining a light into the train car. Inside, a small figure wearing a large hat ducked under it. 

 

“Oh, hey, honey,” Bianca said, crouching down. “It’s okay. Carly, can you let that Pokemon go? I think it belongs to her…”

 

“Huh? Oh, shi--sugar,” Carlotta said, leaning down with the Banette in her arms. The kid sobbed and moved further back. “Hey, darlin’, we’re not gonna hurt you…”

 

A little green-and-white Pokemon jumped in front of the little girl, spreading its tiny arms and chirping angrily.

 

“Sssshhh… hey, I’m just gonna sit down here, okay, honey?” Bianca offered, sitting down in the grass. The air was thick with the kid’s fear. “Nobody’s gonna come any closer. Carly, let that poor li’l thing go!”

 

“Sure thing,” Carlotta said, opening her arms. The Banette hopped out, scurrying over to the little girl, hopping into her arms. As soon as it did, the green-and-white Pokemon chirped again and the three vanished in a flash of energy. 

 

“I think that second Pokemon was a Ralts,” Cheren said after a moment. “It must have used Teleport.”

 

“Damn, I feel bad,” Carlotta said, crouching down and petting Owain, who also drooped. “I think we really scared that kid…”

 

“You didn’t know it wasn’t wild,” Cheren said consolingly.

 

“Hey, guys?” Bianca said, leaning into the train car and picking something up. “I think she dropped this…”

 

“A sketchbook?” Warren said, peering at it. “Let me have a look…”

 

“We shouldn’t be spyin’ on her stuff,” Bianca said with a frown, clutching the sketchbook close. 

 

“I just wanna see if she put her name or anythin’ in it, see if we can return it,” Warren assured her, holding his hands out. She handed over the sketchbook after a moment to let him flip open the cover.

 

“What does it say?” Cheren said, holding up the flashlight.

 

“Property of Kara, age 12… that kid was  _ twelve _ ? She was  _ tiny _ !” Warren said in surprise.

 

“Maybe we oughta go lookin’ for her back at that hospital,” Carlotta said, returning Owain.

 

“Nah, says here… if lost, give to Marsha at Nacrene Museum,” Warren said, pointing at the bottom. “Different handwritin’. Maybe it’s her mom?”

 

“Well, we’re going there in the morning to book battles, anyway,” Cheren said, standing up and stretching. “Shall we get in some more training, sleep, and head out there early?”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 21 _ _ st _ _ , 9:12am _ }

{ _ Nacrene City _ }

 

The whole way to Nacrene Museum, Bianca couldn’t stop looking over her shoulder. Even with the detective’s assurances that he wasn’t going to tell her parents, she kept jumping whenever she saw a man as tall as her father or a woman with her mother’s hair colour, her mind briefly painting on the faces she was most afraid to see…

 

“Here we are,” Cheren said, gesturing to a big stone building that didn’t look like a warehouse or factory. “This place was purpose-built six hundred years ago with money left to the city by--oof!”

 

“Hey, watch where you’re--oh, it’s you,” Warren said with a frown when he got a good look at the guy who’d shot out of the museum doors and into Cheren at top speed. He maintained eye contact and the dirty look while helping Cheren up, the low angle actually letting him get under N’s perpetually tipped baseball cap.

 

“I remember you,” N mumbled, apparently unphased by the collision. In one arm he was holding a little, round, blue-and-brown Pokemon with a smiling face and a big blue tail. “The trainers who keep Pokemon in pokeballs.”

 

“Most trainers do that,” Carlotta pointed out. “Ain’t nothin’ special about us doin’ that.”

 

“Hmmm… no, they don’t have it here,” N said, apparently to the Pokemon in his arms, which was humming and buzzing. “We’ll have to look somewhere else.”

 

“For what?” Bianca said in confusion. 

 

“I… want to see things no-one can see,” N said, glancing up briefly at her before returning his focus to the little Pokemon he was holding. “The truths of Pokemon inside Pokeballs. The ideals of how trainers should be. And a future where Pokemon have become perfect… Do you feel the same?”

 

“Uhhhh…” Carlotta and Warren exchanged a look. “I mean, we’ve all got ideals ‘bout the trainers  _ we _ wanna be…”

 

“...I cannot see the future yet. The world is still to be determined…” N mumbled. He started to brush past. “Right now, my friends aren’t strong enough to save all Pokemon. Maybe I can’t solve the equation that will change the world. So, I need power… Power enough to make anyone agree with me…”

 

“Excuse  _ me _ , but  _ forcing _ people to agree without doesn’t make you  _ right _ ,” Cheren snapped, grabbing the taller man’s arm. 

 

N tensed up, staring at Cheren’s hand on his arm. “It always has,” he said bluntly. “I know what power I need. I need Reshiram, the legendary Pokemon that, along with its hero, made Unova what it is that day.” He smiled, suddenly, as he pulled away. “I will become that hero,” he declared proudly, “and when I do, you and I will be friends!”

 

“Don’t think I could see that even if I  _ could _ see the future,” Carlotta snorted, folding her arms with a scowl. N just smiled at her, then strode off, a little spring in his step. “What is  _ with _ that guy?”

 

“He isn’t wrong that, historically speaking, might has made right, but… good grief,” Cheren said, shaking his head. “What century does he think this is?”

 

“Maybe he thinks he’s in Kanto or somethin’?” Carlotta theorized. “Don’t they still pick leaders ‘cause of who’s the best battler? I think I remember you sayin’ somethin’ like that…”

 

“It isn’t exclusively about battle prowess, though I suppose you could be forgiven for the mistake,” Cheren sighed. “Never mind him. Let’s find Marsha, shall we?”

 

“ _ Whoa, _ ” Bianca breathed as they stepped into the museum, staring around the cavernous main exhibit hall, odd encounters entirely forgotten as she took in the huge, peaceful space. It gave off the impression of being vast and still and yet, at the same time, jam-packed with so many  _ things _ that her eyes couldn’t take them all in at once, and instead they seemed to fade into view like the pictures in a magic eye puzzle as she processed them. Skeletons of flying creatures, tablets of stone and tapestries hung from the high ceiling, while the walls were practically papered with paintings and signs directing them to various exhibits, and each open doorway seemed full to bursting with  _ more _ . “ _ Wow. _ ”

 

“Your catchphrase,” Carlotta joked. “See that big one in the middle? That there’s a  _ Dragonite _ . A real powerful one, goin’ by the size!”

 

“Been here before, huh, hon?” the man sitting behind the ticket desk said in amusement. 

 

“Sure, a buncha times, but this is her first time here!” Carlotta said excitedly, clutching Bianca’s arm. “Y’all got anythin’ new lately?”

 

“Well, there’s the Relic Castle Excavations,” the man said thoughtfully. “Y’all got our app? It’s in the east wing right now.”

 

“Sure!” Carlotta said, opening up the app on her pokegear and zooming around the digital floorplan. “I see it, thanks!” she chirped, putting down a marker.

 

“Before that,” Cheren said, holding up a hand, “is there a Marsha here?”

 

“Why do you wanna know?” the man behind the counter asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Well, we found this last night,” Warren said, pulling the sketchbook out of his bag. “It said, if found, return to Marsha at the Nacrene Museum?”

 

“Oh!” the receptionist said, his face lighting up. “I’ve seen that before! Her new li’l girl likes to sketch. I’ve seen her in her with it. Hang on, Marsha’s on ‘er lunch break, but I’m sure she’s gonna be delighted to see somebody found it!” He pressed a button on his counter. “That’ll buzz ‘er out. Give ‘er a minute.”

 

“Thank you,” Cheren said politely. “So, what did they find in the Relic Castle?”

 

“Rocks, really, but if you’re into geology or somethin’, then…”

 

They made small talk for a couple of minutes until a tall, dark-skinned woman with her hair piled up in a wrap the same colour as the museum’s uniform came out. “You buzzed, Petey?” she called.

 

“These folks found Kara’s notebook!” Petey called, waving her over. 

 

Marsha’s face split into an excited grin and she all but  _ sprinted _ across the hall towards them, hugging the notebook in delight. “Oh,  _ thank _ y’all!” she gushed. “Kara was  _ so _ dang upset when she realized she’d lost it after goin’ out drawin’, but she’d had a real fright and didn’t wanna go lookin’ for it…”

 

“That was us,” Carlotta admitted sheepishly. “We thought her Banette was a wild Pokemon, and, uh… I’m real sorry…”

 

“Oh, damn,” Marsha sighed. “I know she don’t like havin’ other humans around, even  _ me _ , but… don’t worry ‘bout it, honey,” she said reassuringly. “You did her a real kindness bringin’ her notebook back--” She yelped as somebody shoved past her, nearly knocking her over. “WHAT THE HELL?!” she yelled after them. 

 

“STOP THEM!” another voice yelled--a more  _ familiar _ voice. Sir Ace Perivale came running up to them. “Maybe if the lot of you weren’t just standing around gossping, you’d have noticed those damn  _ thieves _ !”

 

“Those  _ what _ ?” Cheren said, looking up and gasping.

 

The skull of the giant Dragonite, the head that had been sitting so sturdily high above the ground just a few minutes before was  _ gone _ .

 

“Oh, shit!” Petey yelled, grabbing a phone. “I’m calling the police!”

 

“I’m going after them  _ now _ !” Ace shouted, shooting off.

 

“C’mon! Let’s get ‘em!” Carlotta yelled, following after him.

 

“Carlotta, we’re not-- _ stop doing this _ !” Warren cried as he, Cheren and Bianca chased after his sister.

 

The streets of Nacrene were crowded in the morning, so it was all Bianca could do to keep up with Cheren and Warren, never mind see who it was that they were chasing. She ended up grabbing onto Cheren’s hand just to make sure she could keep track of him, and was relieved when he gripped her hand tightly and towed her forwards.

 

She fidgeted nervously with Wilhelmina and Tiberius’ pokeballs as they ran. She didn’t want to put them at risk or lose another Pokemon fighting thieves…

 

_ But who wants to steal a  _ skull _ , and why _ ?

 

{ _ Reshin 21 _ _ st _ _ , 9:29am _ }

{ _ Pinwheel Forest _ }

 

“Gondammit! Where in the hells are we?!” Carlotta groused as Ace slowed down in front of a bridge. The dappled, flickering light filtering down through the tall trees that now loomed over them played tricks on the eye and made it difficult to make out the dimensions of the bridge or what lay on the other end.

 

“Pinwheel Forest,” Ace said, looking down a dry gully that ran between two heaps of boulders just before the bridge. “I think they went down there, trying to disappear into the forest. Sucks to be them. That gully’s deep and there’s only one path, no way to climb up the rocks. It’ll bring them back around to the other side of the bridge.”

 

“So we just gotta wait for ‘em on the other side of the bridge?” Carlotta said as Cheren, Warren and Bianca caught up, gasping.

 

“Better if we can pin them in the gully,” Ace said, frowning at a young couple with a baby who were strolling across the bridge. “This is a public path. Look, if you kids want to help, go into the gully and chase after them. Stick together and be careful,  _ don’t  _ rush.” He released a blue-and-black canine Pokemon that was almost as tall as him. “Qui-Gon and I will go into the other end of the gully and we’ll catch them between us, got it?”

 

“Got it,” Carlotta said, saluting and then releasing Owain, who immediately looked around for somebody to fight, and Pijon, who tried to sit on her shoulder before realizing that, having evolved into a Tranquill the previous night, he was now too big. He settled for perching on one of the bridge’s handrails. “You comin’, Cheren?”

 

“Of course,” Cheren said, releasing Sherlock and Peabean, who had also evolved. Pijon immediately began preening his new, brightly coloured facial crest. “Bianca, Warren, you should--”

 

“I’m comin’ too,” Bianca said firmly, releasing Wilhelmina, who hovered around her trainer’s head, sniffing the air. “I wanna help!”

 

“Then I might as well join in this time,” Warren said, patting his pokeball. “One of you is  _ definitely _ gonna get yourselves hurt doin’ this nonsense…”

 

“See you in there,” Ace said, tipping his hat and runnin off with Qui-Gon at his heels.

 

“I’m guessin’ you ain’t been hikin’ before, Bianca,” Carlotta said, heading off across the rocks. “Watch your footin’, okay?”

 

“Got it,” Bianca said, hitching up her skirt and stepping cautiously across the stones, wishing she’d gotten up the courage to go buy her own trousers already. The fear of committing such a sin causing her parents to physically manifest in the store in front of her was about equalled by the awkwardness of peering at a clothing stand and realizing she had no clue what any of the numbers meant.

 

“The detective said we didn’t need to rush, since he’ll be coming at them from the other side,” Cheren said, gripping Warren’s arm as they headed down into the gully, “so  _ do  _ be careful. I did  _ not _ wear hiking shoes today.”

 

“Can’t be that bad, or they’d’ve blocked it off,” Carlotta said reassuringly. 

 

“Unless the thieves destroyed whatever was in the way to stop folks from gettin’ in,” Warren pointed out.

 

“It’s a trainer path, there’ll be rangers down there,” Cheren said, stumbling. Sherlock immediately extended several vines, catching his trainer and keeping him upright. “Ah… thank you, Sherlock.”

 

“Two left feet,” Warren said, shaking his head fondly.

 

“Hey, down there!” Carlotta said, sliding down a moss-covered tree trunk instead of climbing down the rough rock face. Somebody dressed in red was collapsed on the ground. “Hey, y’all okay?!”

 

“Goddamn cheaters,” the woman grunted. She was hunched over, clutching a leg that was horribly bent at a spot too low to be her knee. “You kids head back,” she ordered. “Some thieves are runnin’ loose--”

 

“We know, we’re chasing ‘em,” Carlotta said authoritatively. “We’re with a detective, Ace Perivale. Did you see the thieves? What did they look like?”

 

“Look like? They were dressed in that damn fool Plasma costume!” the ranger spat. “Y’all get after ‘em. I already called for help an’ I can dress this thing myself.” She gritted her teeth and pushed the leg straight with a horrible  _ crack _ before letting loose a litany under her breath that sounded liable to start a forest fire.

 

“If you’re sure you’re okay…” Cheren said uneasily. The ranger nodded, opening her bag and keying in a password before withdrawing a splint.

 

“She’s got this,” Warren assured him, tugging Cheren along as they headed deeper into the gully. Wilhelmina flew ahead, giving echoing cries. “What’s she doin’?”

 

“Is she trying to echolocate them?” Cheren said with interest. “That’s very clever. How did you teach her to do that?”

 

“Uh, she just started doin’ it,” Bianca said, brushing a tree branch out of her face. “She’s real smart, ain’t she?”

 

Wilhelmina squeaked loudly, diving suddenly. Pijon and Peabean dived after her. “Do they see somethin’?” Carlotta called, speeding up as she vaulted over a fallen log and took off between the scattered trees.

 

“Carlot _ taaaa _ !” Warren yelled in exasperation as they went after her. They spotted Wilhelmina and the two Tranquill further down in the gully, all gathered around two much smaller Pokemon. They were grey and bipedal, with heavy pink markings on their bodies. One was carrying a large chunk of wood over its shoulder.

 

The other was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

 

“Aw, gondammit… too late,” Warren said, grimacing as he crouched next to it. “Nothin’ Angus or I can do for it. It’s gone.”

 

“Oh… I’m sorry, li’l guy,” Bianca sniffed, reaching to pet the other one. It smacked her hand away with a small paw, squeaking angrily. Wilhelmina squeaked right back. Then Pijon and Peabean both trilled loudly, spreading their broad wings, Pijon’s crest standing on end.

 

“That’s an aggression display,” Cheren said, reaching for Peabean’s pokeball. “We don’t need to waste time fighting wild--”

 

With an angry cry, the surviving Timburr ran off, with Wilhelmina and the two Tranquill flying after it. “C’mon!” Carlotta yelled, running after them. Warren just sighed heavily this time before taking off in pursuit, tugging Cheren along by one hand. 

 

The gully grew denser and greener around them as they ran. It was probably beautiful, but impossible to make out as any more than a green blur at the corners of their eyes as they focused on chasing after the Pokemon without catching their ankles in tree roots or rocks hidden in the grass.

 

“There!” Carlotta cried suddenly. A flash of powder blue was distantly visible whipping around a boulder. “HEY!” She yelled, pointing at where the figure had been. The wild Timburr screamed in rage and swung the chunk of wood over its head as it ran around the boulder, while Peabean and Pijon simply swooped up and dived over with a shriek.

 

“You have nowhere to run!” Cheren shouted as they ran around the boulder to see one Plasma on the ground, yelling as the Timburr beat at him with its hunk of wood. Several more were clustered behind him, carrying a huge package wrapped in black cloth between them, which they were carefully setting on the ground so they could get their pokeballs. Behind them was a tunnel--or, on closer inspection, not a tunnel but a  _ gigantic  _ fallen tree, a dead titan rotted through the core, leaving a musty-smelling space that one could drive a truck through. Two of them stumbled back with a cry as Pijon and Peabean divebombed them.

 

“The detectives are comin’ the other way!” Warren shouted, pointing at the fallen tree. “Give up an’ surrender the skull!”

 

“Plasma will never surrender!” one of the Plasmas yelled, releasing a Patrat.  _ All _ of them had Patrat, but large, strong-looking ones, probably not far off of evolution. “Attack!”

 

“Leaf Tornado, Sherlock! Peabean, Air Cutter!” Cheren ordered, pointing at two of the Patrat.

 

“Yeah! Air Cutter, Pijon! Razor Shell, Owain!” Carlotta cried, pointing to the gathered enemies. The four Pokemon dove into battle. The Plasma on the ground had managed to released a Purrloin, but the wild Timburr knocked it aside with a furious cry.

 

“Mina! Ya gotta make ‘em sleep before it kills ‘im!” Bianca cried. “Um… Confusion, ain’t it?”

 

Wilhelmina swooped towards the pair on the ground, glowing pink. Both human and Pokemon groaned, clutching their heads, then collapsed, unconscious. “Good job, Bianca!” Warren said, throwing a pokeball to catch the wild Timburr. “Should stop it wakin’ up an’ gettin’ out of control again…”

 

Carlotta and Cheren had already swept aside all of the Patrat. A couple more Plasmas had Purrloin, and a couple had low, brown Pokemon with large jaws full of sharp teeth. “They’re Sandile! Use Pijon!” Cheren ordered. “Peabean, Air Cutter that one!”

 

Peabean, as ordered, struck the Sandile hard, slamming it flat into the ground. Behind it, one of the collapsed Patrat staggered to its feet, eyes glowing.

 

“CHEREN, LOOK OUT!” Bianca screamed, pointing. Too late, Cheren turned and saw the Patrat just as it leapt into Peabean, tearing into her belly with a horrifying  _ screech _ and a spray of blood.

 

“We know how to bide our time in Plasma,” one of the grunts joked.

 

“Shut the fuck up!” Carlotta snarled, scooping up a stone and spinning to fling it. The Plasma woman screamed and collapsed as it struck her in the knee with a  _ crack _ . “Warren, get your ass over here!”

 

“Already on it!” Warren yelled, releasing Angus. “Doubleslap!”

 

Angus slapped the Patrat away from Peabean. His attacks weren’t very powerful, but they were enough to take down the barely-conscious Patrat. “Good. Now Heal Pulse, Angus!” Warren ordered. Instead of glowing with charging power, Angus prodded at Peabean, making a distressed warn. “Fuck. Cheren…” Warren said, gripping his boyfriend’s hand.

 

“I know,” Cheren said tightly. “SURRENDER!” he barked angrily at the Plasmas as they looked over their various downed Pokemon and a couple of downed partners. “Y’all got nowhere to run!” Cheren repeated, anger fraying his usually precise diction. “Give it up, NOW!”

 

“Never!” one of the Plasmas spat, drawing his sword. He was immediately bowled over as what looked like a ball of pure light smacked into his back.

 

“Careful, those things are sharp,” Ace called, running down the inside of the log with Qui-Gon. The last two Plasmas still on their feet exchanged glances, then held their hands up in the air. “Wow, you kids caught up with ‘em  _ fast _ . Did you save any for me?”

 

“I wish,” Warren sighed as Pijon fluttered down next to Peabean, nudging her with his beak and chirping. Angus put a small paw on Pijon’s back and crooned in a soft, sad voice. Owain, Sherlock and Wilhelmina all gathered around the Tranquill as he threw his head back and gave a haunting wail of despair.

 

“I think they’re cryin’,” Bianca said, tears thick in her own voice. “They know she’s dead…?” 

 

“Well, they sure know she ain’t gettin’ up,” Warren said, putting an arm around Cheren. “I just… didn’t know Pokemon  _ mourned. _ ”

 

“Yeah,” Ace said, looking down at the dead Tranquill with a sad sigh. “They sure do. Look, if you kids wanna… I dunno, bury ‘er out here, we can handle these guys.” He released a fully-evolved Samurott, a humanoid orange Pokemon that looked a bit like a large Pansear except with its head  _ actually _ on fire, and a tall Pokemon that was mostly hidden under what looked like a hooded green cloak except for a protruding beak. “My team and I can handle taking this lot away.” He nodded at the various Plasmas and the flaming orange Pokemon immediately picked two up and, ignoring their protestations, flung one over each shoulder.

 

“He’s right,” Carlotta said as Ace and his Pokemon walked away with their prisoners, the Samurott carrying the stolen skull on its back. “We oughta bury her…” She reached for Owain and Pijon’s pokeballs, but Bianca put out a hand to stop her.

 

“We should… let ‘em say goodbye too,” she sniffed. “An’ that poor li’l thing back there… we oughta bury him too. He was just  _ here _ , an’ they killed ‘im…”

 

“I did catch that other one… here,” Warren said, handing the pokeball to his sister. “I don’t need a fighter, but you could probably do somethin’ with ‘er. Who knows, maybe it’ll make ‘er like us if she sees us buryin’ ‘er friend, right?”

 

“Good idea,” Carlotta sighed. “Owain, c’mon, let’s go get that dead Timburr… y’all find some soil we can dig in, okay?”

 

They found some at the far end of the tree trunk, where some of its roots were still sunken into the ground, the rest reaching up into the sky like a wall of broken spires. It seemed a suitably solemn place to inter Peabean and the dead Timburr, with Pijon’s sad wailing serving as the funeral dirge.

 

The wild Timburr didn’t cry aloud when Carlotta released her and she saw them putting the dead one’s body in a hole and covering him with earth. She just dropped her chunk of wood on the ground, sat on it, and cried silently without ever looking away from her friend’s body until he was completely covered with earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late again, I know… schedule slip, my old nemesis, we meet again… I did in fact have and train Tristan for quite a while before he died, but it seemed more efficient yet also very sad to handle him this way here.
> 
> As in the last chapter, Sir Ace Perivale and his Pokemon belong to ShinigamiMaster, and introducing Kara, belonging to Ludyhoolu!
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Dewott, Loyal the Herdier, Paden the Pansear, Pijon the Tranquill, Roland the Roggenrola  
> Name: Thamina. Species: Timburr. Nature: Adamant. Ability: Guts. Location: Pinwheel Forest (Exterior). Level: 14.
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Wilhelmina the Woobat  
> RIP Tristan the Timburr, level 13-23
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Servine, Poncho the Panpour, Rocky the Roggenrola  
> Name: Lilli. Species: Petlil. Nature: Modest. Ability: Chlorophyll. Location: Nacrene City. Level: 15  
> RIP Peabean the Pidove, level 10-21


	11. Pinwheel Forest (Interior)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids go camping. Carlott and Cheren pick fights; Bianca and Warren take a hike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 6 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 3  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 3 Deaths: 3

{ _ Reshin 21 _ _ st _ _ , 10:32am _ }

{ _ Pinwheel Forest _ }

  
  


“Hey, guys?” Warren said, stopping in the middle of the bridge and looking at his C-Gear. “Maybe we oughtn’t go back to Nacrene right now…”

 

“Why--oh,” Cheren said, looking at Warren’s screen and wincing. “Of course. Should have known. The press are all over the museum,” he clarified to Carlotta and Bianca. 

 

“It too much to hope your folks don’t watch news?” Carlotta asked Bianca, who’d gone deathly pale.

 

“Um… is Mono News reportin’ on it?” Bianca asked anxiously. 

 

“Hold on, this app only shows real new stations… aw, shit, they’re showin’ it too,” Warren sighed. 

 

“We’ll come back an’ fight Nacrene Gym later on,” Carlotta decided. “An’ don’t you start,” she added immediately, turning to Bianca, who shut her mouth. “We can fight ‘em in any order, port back any time we like, this ain’t a problem or setback for nobody.” She put a hand on Bianca’s shoulder. “Just remindin’ you you ain’t done nothin’ wrong an’ have nothin’ to apologize for, got it?”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Bianca said with a shy smile. “Okay! Campin’ again! I’m lookin’ forward to it! This forest’s real pretty!”

 

“I believe there is a popular trainer campsite by the lake,” Cheren added, turning and leading them back across the bridge, deeper into the forest. “It ought to be an ideal place to train, maybe with other trainers to have practice battles with.”

 

“Hey, here’s a plan--we challenge some other folks, wreck their Pokemon, an’ charge ‘em for Angus’ Heal Pulse,” Carlotta cackled.

 

“Says the police are at the museum, too,” Warren mumbled, still looking at his c-gear screen. “Think they’re gonna wanna talk to us?”

 

“They probably aren’t in a rush, seeing as none of the thieves escaped and they have plenty of witnesses,” Cheren mused. “Has that detective made a statement?”

 

“Oh, yeah, here ‘e is,” Warren said, turning on a video. The screen was too small for the others to see, but they could hear the report just fine over the rustling leaves and smooth, quiet flow of the river below.

 

“... _ with the aid of some travelling trainers, _ ” the detective was saying. “ _ But as they were minors, I’m not going to give their details out on the air. I’ll leave it to the discretion of themselves and their guardians to visit the police to offer statements. _ ”

 

“I like this guy,” Carlotta mused. “I like ‘im a  _ lot _ .”

 

“What a solid dude,” Warren agreed.

 

“Is that ranger lady okay?” Bianca asked, peering at Warren’s c-gear.

 

“Uhhhh… oh, yeah, says here Ranger Irene Cooper was hospitalized with a broken leg, but thanks to her own quick first aid she should make a full recovery,” Warren reported. “She’s gonna be fine, don’t you worry.”

 

“Good,” Bianca sighed in relief. “I’m glad they got that skull back safe, too. Been a real shame for that poor thing not havin’ ‘is head no more…”

 

“He’s been dead for over three thousand years, Bianca, I don’t imagine much bothers him,” Cheren said, looking up at the signs standing over the path ahead. “Ah. Campsite this way. There we go.”

 

The campsite wasn’t directly off the main path leading to the bridges, but instead down a winding trail between the trees. It was a pleasant day, with the sun filtering down through the trees casting everything in a warm, dappled light. It was peaceful, beautiful, quiet, and all in all worlds away from the morning’s violence. It was only a few minutes’ walk before they first got a glimpse of glittering water through the trees, and not long afterwards until they found themselves in a field of short, scrubby grass before a lake. It was mostly empty, aside from a couple of tents dotted amongst the stone-ringed firepits.The lake itself was the sort that was too large to be a pond, but the far shore was close enough that individual trees could be made ou, and they could practically see Carlotta estimating how long it would take her to swim it. At the water’s edge, where the grass gave way to a small strip of damp sand, a couple of trainers were fighting--though on closer inspection, it clearly wasn’t an actual fight.

 

The two trainers were standing on opposite sides of the rough outline of a battlefield drawn in the sand, as if having a real match, but there was no way the Pokemon in the middle were really battling. One, a gigantic mass of red-and-blue stone with something like a big nose and moustache on front, wasn’t even moving, just grunting as a little orange thing with a burning tail spat tiny spurts of flame that washed harmlessly off of the bigger Pokemon’s hide. One trainer, a tall, pale man with dark blue hair to his shoulders, was cheering on “Giro”, while the other, an equally tall dark-skinned trainer with  _ very _ long, straight red hair, was just watching with a smile.

 

“Awww, are they helpin’ the baby train? That’s real sweet!” Bianca gushed.

 

“Hi!” Carlotta called, waving. “Mister with the li’l guy! If you’re needin’ a proper fight, I figure we’re more on your level! How many badges you got?”

 

“Hi!” the man called, waving. “Gearing up to get my first. I’m thinking Burgh, it’ll be easiest on my team. How about you?” 

 

“We’ve got our first badges,” Cheren said, pulling out his badge case as they approached the battlefield.

 

“And you couldn’t resist showin’ it off,” Warren ribbed his boyfriend, nudging him. “Competitive trainers. Can’t take y’all anywhere. Since we skipped over the whole introductions part, my name’s Warren, this is my boyfriend Cheren, my sister Carlotta, an’ our best friend Bianca.”

 

“Oh, yeah, hi,” the guy said with a nod. “I’m Marco. I’m from Accumula. Are you from around here? Giro, come back!” he added, shouting over his shoulder at his little orange Pokemon, who immediately scurried over and clung to his ankle.

 

“We’re all from Nuvema,” Carlotta confirmed. “How ‘bout you?” she asked the other trainer, who just returned their huge Pokemon and they strode over with their hands shoved into the pockets of their black jacket.

 

“I’m Fern,” they said. “I’m from Sinnoh!”

 

“Wow, your Unovan’s real good!” Bianca gasped.

 

“My girlfriend is from Undella, she taught me!” Fern said proudly. “I’m here to visit her, but also I want to see… what is the word… the god places?”

 

“God places?” Carlotta said, looking around with an eyebrow raised at the campsite. “I’m not sure that’s the word you want…”

 

“Not  _ here _ ,” Fern said, pointing at the ground before gesturing all around, “but in this forest, there are god places.”

 

“Yeah, we were talking about this before… I always heard that this is Virizion’s forest,” Marco said, stooping to scoop up Giro in his arms. “Haven’t you guys heard? Nuvema’s not far from here, right?”

 

“Honestly, most I know ‘bout Virizion begins an’ ends at the cartoons,” Carlotta admitted with a shrug.

 

“What  _ is _ this li’l cutie?” Bianca cooed, waggling her fingers at Giro, who waved a little claw back at her.

 

“He’s a Charmander… not surprised you haven’t heard of them, they’re  _ very _ rare,” Marco explained. “You were saying you’ve got one badge each already… would you be willing to give us a proper fight?”

 

“Oh, well… it’s Carly an’ Cheren got badges,” Bianca admitted, shying away, with her eyes downcast.

 

“If you don’t wanna fight just now, Bianca, how ‘bout we set up our campsite while they fight?” Warren suggested, tugging her away by the hand. “I ain’t a battler, either,” he added. 

 

“Tch, it is morning,” Fern said, waving their hand dismissively. “You want to camp and see the famous sunrise, yeah? If you do not want to fight, come explore the forest with me! I can protect you from wild Pokemon, and maybe we will find a god place!”

 

“Bianca does have some interest in gods,” Cheren said. “Alright, Carlotta, which one of us will fight Marco first?”

 

“We’re deciding this like  _ warriors _ , Cher,” Carlotta declared, raising one fist in the air. “Rock, paper, scissors, three, two,  _ one _ \--!”

 

“I don’t actually know anythin’ ‘bout Virizion, either,” Bianca clarified as she and Warren hurried to keep up with Fern’s long stride. “We didn’t get to watch cartoons, an’ my folks said anythin’ but the Dragons are false gods.”

 

“The Dragons you mean are Zekrom and Reshiram, yeah?” Fern said. “But there are many, many, many, many other gods!”

 

“Yeah, Bianca’s folks’re pretty intense,” Warren said. “Virizion… he was always the pretty one. Always flirtin’ with  _ somebody _ , had to have all his attacks real pretty. Uh, in the cartoons an’ movies, anyways,” he added with a cough when Fern looked curiously at him. “Don’t know much ‘bout the god except that its thing is grass, an’ it hangs around with Terrakion an’ Cobalion.”

 

“Yes! The three are battle gods, who travel to fight on behalf of Pokemon in need!” Fern exclaimed. “Virizion is the most beautiful, they say, and the most gentle. And, yes, grass. That is why they live in this forest, maybe. Hello,” they said to a Pidove that was pecking at the path ahead of them. The tiny grey Pokemon looked up, staring quizzically at them. “In Sinnoh we have Starly. Not so cute, I think. Do you have? I know these ones are very common here.”

 

“No, but ain’t she  _ adorable _ ?” Bianca cooed, crouching down and carefully holding out a hand to the Pidove, who chirped and nuzzled it.

 

“Awww,  _ kawaii desu ne… _ she thinks that you are very cute also,” Fern informed Bianca. “If you want to have a Pidove, I think she will let you catch her. Do you have pokeballs?”

 

“What? Y-yeah,” Bianca said in surprise, digging in her bag. “Really?”

 

“Pokemon don’t just  _ let _ you catch ‘em,” Warren pointed out. 

 

“Well, do you ask before you take? No!” Fern scoffed. They looked down at the Pidove, firing off a question in rapid Fairlan. The Pidove looked up and chirped. “Miss Penny says, I want to see far-away places, and to meet different Pokemon. That is why she is looking for a trainer.”

 

“Got it!” Bianca said, pulling an empty pokeball out of her bag. “You sure she’s really gonna just…  _ let _ me catch ‘er?”

 

“I asked, and she answered! I am sure that miss Penny is a good bird who would not lie,” Fern said firmly.

 

“Well, here goes…” Bianca said, holding out her pokeball and tapping it gently to the Pidove’s head. The little Pokemon vanished immediately in a burst of light, and the ball didn’t even rock before locking.

 

“...wow,” Warren said in amazement. “ _ That _ was easy.”

 

“I told you, I spoke to her, and she agreed!” Fern insisted. “Are you an Unovan who thinks that it is not true, that we speak to Pokemon?”

 

“W-well… it don’t sound very… sensible, do it?” Warren said, backing up a little as Fern loomed over them, hands on their hips and a scowl on their face. “I mean, Pokemon don’t all communicate in the same way, first off…”

 

“Pah! Sense! If it makes sense, does not matter,” Fern said flippantly. “It is true, whether it makes sense or not. “Many clever people are studying it, and maybe one day they will make sense. But until then, it is still  _ true _ .”

 

“Then you don’t gotta be so  _ bossy _ ‘bout it, do ya?” Bianca said, standing up with her hands on her own impressive hips as she put herself between Warren and Fern, glaring up at the much taller person.

 

“It is okay, okay?” Fern chuckled, hands raised. “You, much more tough than you look. Protect your Pokemon as well as your friend, yeah?”

 

“Uh… okay,” Bianca said, looking down at the pokeball in her hand. “I’ll do my best.”

 

“Good! Now, where might a god place be?” Fern mused, looking at their wrist, where they wore something like a C-gear, though chunkier. They started fidgeting with the map function, which looked to be covered in custom pins.

 

“Damn, B,” Warren said, patting his friend on her shoulder. “You could be that intense more often.”

 

“Well… they were bein’ rude to you, and there weren’t no call for it,” Bianca mumbled, going red. She drooped a little more, hunching in on herself. “Why couldn’t I never talk to  _ them _ like that?” she almost whispered.

 

“Your folks?” Warren guessed. Bianca nodded. “Well, that’s different. They’re your  _ folks _ . This is just some person we just met. An’ hey, thanks for gettin’ tough on my account,” he added, squeezing her shoulder, “what with Carly not bein’ here to do it!”

 

“‘Sokay,” Bianca said, smiling shyly as she went even redder. “You’re my friend.”

 

“You are all very sweet,” Fern noted, causing them to jump and hurry to catch up with them on the forest path. “Are you old friends?”

 

“Known each other since we were… what, four, five?” Warren said. “All four of us.”

 

“ _ Osana najimi _ ! It is a very important, very strong bond,” Fern explained. “All four of you? Very rare, very strong. But it is difficult. We change friends many times when we grow up because we become many different people on the way. To still be friends means to work, to understand, and to love. I hope you will do that,” they said with a smile, making an “OK” sign with one hand. 

 

“I hope so too,” Warren said, imitating the signal back. Then he frowned, looking back over his shoulder.

 

“What’s up?” Bianca asked, following his look back. They had moved onto a path-off-the-path, where the trees were denser and darker, and the ground underfoot thicker and more coated with leaves and roots.

 

“Nothin’, just… felt like we were being watched for a moment,” Warren said, shaking his head. “Nothin’ there, though.”

 

“If you see any strong Pokemon, then Gatsby and I will keep you safe,” Fern offered, releasing a tall, green-and-white Pokemon that looked a little like a beautiful woman. “He is a Gardevoir! He is very brave!” 

 

The Gardevoir looked them up and down, humming. It was a pleasant sound, but if he was speaking, neither of them could understand it. 

  
  


{ _ Reshin 21 _ _ st _ _ , 11:19am _ }

{ _ Pinwheel Forest _ }

 

“You two are  _ not _ on my level,” Marco grumbled, returning his last Pokemon, a little blue water-type called a Piplup.

 

“Have I told you I love this girl?” Carlotta boasted, watching a newly-evolved Thamina flex her new muscles. Carlotta flexed back. “‘Cause I  _ love this girl. _ ”

 

“She’s a Gurdurr now,” Cheren explained, looking at his pokedex, “and she’ll start gathering anything metal to create a new club with, so keep an eye on your things.”

 

“Nice,” Carlotta said, returning Thamina. “She trains real hard. No wonder she evolved so darn fast.”

 

“I need to get stronger, fast, as well,” Marco said, digging potions out of his bag. “What’s your secret?”

 

“Daily trainin’ an’ a consistent regimen, pal,” Carlotta declared. “No skippin’ out! It all adds up!”

 

“Are you talking about you or your Pokemon?” Marco asked, pointing at Carlotta, who was still flexing.

 

“Both!” Carlotta said proudly.

 

“She isn’t joking,” Cheren sighed. “Daily training is key, though, and taking on a few strong opponents does you more good than many weak ones, though it’s riskier. We travel together, so we can train together several times a day.”

 

“Hmmm…” Marco loaded potions into his pokeballs thoughtfully. “I prefer my Pokemon.”

 

“Well, if you want to fight Burgh first, I’m sure your Charmander could handle a first-badge Bug battle alone,” Cheren said encouragingly. “Where did you get one, anyway? They’re extremely rare, aren’t they?”

 

“My parents are Fairlan, and they both have Charmeleon that they’ve had since they were children,” Marco explained. “They’re Giro’s parents. Yes, they’re very rare, though I hear Sar Kanto sponsors a program in Kanto that’s building the population back up.”

 

The question  _ so, do you really believe in all that talking-to-Pokemon stuff _ hovered on Cheren’s tongue, but he bit it back. He was curious about it every time the topic of the Fairlands came up--as it seemed to daily, lately--but if there was one thing he’d learned online, it wasn’t just to pick your battles, but the time and place for them, too. The issue of talking to Pokemon was a touchy one, and there was nothing for anybody to gain if it sparked an argument between two passersby at the same campsite. 

 

Instead, he asked, “you said you needed to get stronger fast. Are you taking the League challenge?”

 

“Only as a means to get stronger,” Marco said, leaning back on his hands. “I want to be able to protect Pokemon from people who are cruel to them. It’s so damn _ easy _ to get away with hurting Pokemon in this damn country. If the law won’t protect them, I will.”

 

Well.  _ That _ also sounded like a touchy subject, but… “You know… the most effective way to protect them would be to lobby to change the laws concerning Pokemon rights,” he pointed out. “Just attacking people will only get you arrested, and it won’t really help the Pokemon. It certainly hasn’t garnered the Plasma Foundation any sympathy.”

 

“Plasma…” Marco snorted, his expression darkening. “I’m not planning to run around dispensing vigilante justice, but if I see  _ them _ again, I want to know I can protect my Pokemon and any other Pokemon they have their filthy, murdering eyes on.”

 

“Murderin’?” Carlotta said in surprise. “I ain’t heard ‘bout them  _ killin _ ’ nobody, that lady they threw acid at lived last I heard…”

 

“Not a human, a Pokemon,” Marco said, shaking his head. “I saw them kill a Kangaskhan to take her baby. If I’d been a trainer at the time, if I’d had Pokemon, maybe I could’ve done something…”

 

“Damn… human or Pokemon, that’s fucked up,” Carlotta muttered. “Didn’t we see somethin’ like that at the Dreamyard?”

 

“They were beating up that Munna, yes… I can’t think what they plan to gain from it, though,” Cheren said, frowning. 

 

“I don’t know or care what they  _ plan to gain from it, _ ” Marco spat. “They’re not getting away with that shit again. Not on my watch.”

 

“I can respect that,” Carlotta said, putting Thamina’s pokeball back on her belt. “Think yours are all healed up and ready for another fight? Y’all gotta work hard to get tough!”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Marco said, jumping to his feet. “Just not the Gurdurr.  _ Please _ .”

  
  


{ _ Reshin 21 _ _ st _ _ , 5:14pm _ }

{ _ Castelia City _ }

 

Saylee leaned back against the arm of the sofa, one arm tight around Scarlet while she held up her tablet in her uninjured hand, watching through a playlist of cartoons that her cousin Lucy had sent her. She’d skipped out some kind of charity dinner, and felt a little bad about it, but she knew she wasn’t going to be able to cope with having Scarlet out of her sight for a little while. Besides, the host, a local gallery owner, had been very gracious about her giving a generous donation instead of attending, and she figured that anybody she’d meet at that dinner, she was also going to meet at the gala in a couple of days. It was worth it for a peaceful evening, watching Scarlet giggle at the cartoons while Blue and Red continued their reversi rivalry on a board they’d found in a stack of board games under the television. The noises of the cartoon, Scarlet’s giggles and the  _ click _ of Blue and Red placing and flipping pieces all seemed woven together harmoniously by Meloetta’s humming. The small Pokemon was sitting at the foot of the couch, eyes closed as they hummed in tune with the small sounds of the room, sometimes singing wordlessly, turning every random sound into part of the melody.

 

The view of the sprawl of Castelia City was famously impressive, especially from the penthouse she was in, but she’d drawn the curtains. Koga’s team hadn’t  _ lost _ to any of the three strange ninja who’d attacked them, but none of them had really  _ won, _ either. She’d never met anyone who could go toe-to-toe with anyone from Fuchsia in hand-to-hand combat, and she didn’t like knowing that they were still out there. 

 

There was a soft knock on the door and Key stuck her head around. “Hey, put down the fragiles,” she announced. “There’s news from the interrogations and you’re not gonna like it.”

 

“I’ll hold the cartoons, Mummy,” Scarlet said, reaching up for the tablet. “Can I keep watching?”

 

“Yes, but only if you promise not to press any of the buttons, okay?” Saylee said, gently shifting her daughter onto the couch. “I have important things on here. Cartoons only, or no more cartoons, okay?”

 

“Okay!” Scarlet said immediately. “I’ll tell you what happened when you get back!”

 

“Awww, thanks, honey,” Saylee said, kissing her on the forehead and getting up. Blue and Red also stood up. “Red, stay here and keep an eye on her, okay?”

 

“This isn’t us fobbing you off because you’re a kid,” Blue said quietly when Red opened his mouth, possibly quietly enough that Saylee wasn’t supposed to hear it. “We all had a real scare, okay? We just… even if it’s just stepping into the hall outside, just keep an eye out for us, okay?”

 

“...Sure,” Red said, moving over and sitting down on the couch next to Scarlet. “So, who’re they?” he asked, pointing at the characters on the screen.

 

Saylee stepped out into the entryway of the apartment-style hotel room, though she kept a foot in the door so she could still hear Scarlet’s voice as she and Red chatted and keep the pair of them in the corner of her eye. “Okay, so what’s happened?”

 

“The kidnappers confessed, but claimed that they only wore Plasma outfits to distract the police to make them harder to track down once they escaped,” Key said quickly. “Plasma themselves declared that none of these people were ever members, and since they haven’t  _ claimed _ to be members, the police have no grounds to search their records. Which… unfortunately, they don’t. Plasma regularly gives their outfits to short-term volunteers at their shelters and don’t require that they be returned,  so they could’ve gotten those uniforms without being members or doing anything for Plasma.”

 

Blue pressed a hand to his mouth and whispered, “ _ ffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck  _ them. Fuck ‘em.  _ Fuckers. _ ”

 

“They’re loyal, I’ll give them that,” Linda, the guard by the door, commented. “No doubt they’ve been incentivized to lie to protect Plasma, but proving it will be difficult. A good prosecutor could maybe do it, but it’ll take them months.”

 

“So  _ why _ did they try to take Scarlet?!” Saylee hissed. 

 

“They claim to be independently anti-Fairlan,” Key sighed, “putting it politely. They each went off on separate crackpot rants about getting you to confess to being a dictator or something, that they’ve been stalking your evil ways, yadda yadda. None of them brought up your, y’know, paternity, which tells me they don’t actually know a thing about you and were put up to this by somebody else, but again, that’s not really quick or easy to prove. The Nacrene Museum thieves this morning  _ did _ claim to be part of Plasma but  _ not _ acting on the organization’s behalf. They just said they stole the skull because their hearts broke for the poor dead Dragonite, having its remains so desecrated.”

 

“I am so goddamn angry that I agree about  _ that _ , although I’m sure they’re lying through their teeth,” Saylee groaned, dragging a hand over her eyes. “Wait, if they admitted to being Plasma Foundation members, the police  _ do _ have a right to demand access to Plasma’s records, don’t they?”

 

“Under Unovan law, no, not unless they claim to be acting on Plasma’s behalf, and they weren’t,” Key sighed. “Or at least, they say they weren’t. I’m sorry, Lee, this headache isn’t going away anytime soon…”

 

“Maybe I should take Lettie and Red and head out,” Blue said, putting a hand on Saylee’s arm. “That’d be diplomatic, sorta, right? And a bit of a  _ fuck you  _ to anybody trying to drive you out of the country with this shit.”

 

Saylee glanced over at the couch, where Scarlet and Red were engrossed in something loud and smashy happening on the tablet screen. “You probably should,” she said reluctantly. “Gods, Lettie was  _ so _ excited about this trip, and we’ve  _ never _ been apart for more than a schoolday before…”

 

“She’s a bright kid, she’ll understand,” Blue promised, pulling her closer to lean his head against hers and give her a one-armed hug. “I guess if we hang around until the gala, we can let Caitlin know in person that we want to head back to the embassy and out of the country as discreetly as possible…”

 

“Yeah, you don’t wanna advertise it,” Key agreed. “And, well… could you take Ray and Amy back home, too? It won’t be as fun for them to travel without their friends, and, well…” She tucked some hair behind her ear, casting a glance at Saylee. “I’m standing with you, whatever shit’s coming our way, obviously. I just don’t want my kids mixed up in it, y’know?”

 

“Hey, I don’t want my kid mixed up in it either,” Saylee said, raising her hands. “Linda, can you ask Koga to come talk to me to make a plan? Caitlin might have a security detail that can look after them, but if a breakaway detail is an option…”

 

“We’re honoured, as ever, by your absolute trust in us, Sar,” Linda said seriously, “and we  _ won’t  _ fail you again. I’ll ask him to talk to you after the kids’ bedtimes?”

 

“Please,” Saylee said gratefully, putting an arm around Blue and hugging him back. “I’ll miss you too, jerk. Facing this kind of thing always seems easier when you’ve got my back. But it feels good to know you’ve got Lettie’s.”

 

“Of course,” Blue promised. “I’ll get on that ‘good prosecutor’ thing, too. I think we know a guy who might know a guy. And I wanna know why the hell, if Plasma  _ is _ ordering these crimes and then incentivizing their people to lie about it… why wear the Plasma costumes at all? They’re doing this shit in broad daylight, in recognizable costumes. Why? Were jeans and t-shirts outlawed?”

 

“Harder to wear a decorative sword with, maybe,” Saylee said, glancing at the bandages on her shoulder. “If they were making good life choices, they wouldn’t be kidnappers and thieves.”

 

“Point.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fern belongs to MusicalityMix and Marco Grennings belongs to Ultimate5x! Thank you for sharing them with me! 
> 
> I know, it’s been forever. Depression be like that sometimes. DAMN, it feels good to be back to writing, though. And, y’know, frantically scouring the internet for any intel on the lil nut boy who started showing up on Pokemon Go so I can start figuring out how to work that wee dude into this storyverse. Am I gonna need an avatar for this thing? These are the questions that fill my mind whenever it comes to new Pokemon games these days. 
> 
> Also, ingame we all actually had quite uneventful Lenora experiences. No, really. No, really. This does seem to be a running theme of us not having a problem with infamously dangerous normal-type gyms (neither Whitney nor Norman were any fuss, either) and then having MAJOR trouble with gyms that don’t seem to have much of a rep.
> 
>  
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Dewott, Loyal the Herdier, Paden the Pansear, Pijon the Tranquil, Roland the Boldore, Thamina the Gurdurr  
> Name: Saria. Species: Sewaddle. Nature: Rash. Ability: Chlorophyll. Location: Pinwheel Forest (Interior). Level: 15
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Packard the Watchog, Wilhelmina the Woobat  
> Name: Penny. Species: Pidove. Nature: Timid. Ability: Big Pecks. Location: Pinwheel Forest (Interior). Level: 15
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Servine, Poncho the Panpour, Rocky the Boldore, Lilli the Petilil


	12. Castelia City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 7 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 3  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 3

_ {Reshin 22nd, 05:06am} _

_ {Pinwheel Forest} _

 

“Guys, guys,  _ guys, _ hold on,” Carlotta said, grabbing Warren and Cheren’s arms as they started to climb the slope up to the viewing plateau. “We don’t gotta rush. Bianca ain’t seen this before, remember?”

 

“Oh, then we’ve  _ gotta _ give ‘er the full show,” Warren said, grabbing Bianca’s hat and pulling it down over her eyes. “No peekin’ ‘til we say so, got it?”

 

“Alright,” Bianca giggled, clutching her hat with one hand and letting Cheren lead her by the other with Carlotta steering her by the shoulders. The group shuffled up the slope carefully, taking care not to trip in the dark. “Good view up here, huh?”

 

“Nothing in the world like it,” Cheren promised. “Now, be careful, there are roots underfoot...”

 

She could hear people murmuring all around, some in languages she’d never heard before. The only other sounds were the occasional hum of a car passing somewhere nearby and the steadily increasing splash of small waves. There was a lot of weaving back and forth before she found her free hand guided to a cool metal railing.

 

“Okay, you can look!” Carlotta declared, patting Bianca’s shoulder. 

 

Bianca pulled up her hat, then blinked in confusion at the all-encompassing darkness. “Are we at a river?” Bianca asked, gripping the railing and leaning over. There was a feeling of space below, but no light at all to see anything by.

 

“I think it’s technically an inlet,” Cheren suggested. “Never mind. They turn off the lights for a while before dawn. That’s not the view down there.” With her eyes starting to adjust to the faint grey predawn light, Bianca could make him out leaning against the railing next to her with Warren and Carlotta.

 

“Morning, folks,” a young women said, approaching them with something wide in her arms. Soft LEDs in her hat illuminated the logo of a coffee chain, and when she got close enough Bianca could see a similarly illuminated menu on the tray she was carrying. “You need somethin’ to wake you up?”

 

“Coffee, no sugar, as much cream as you can add before the system throws an error,” Cheren yawned.

 

The woman chuckled, tapping in the options on her tray. “Pay here, please,” she said, pointing to a circle in a corner of the tray. Cheren put his cashcard on it, and after a moment the tray beeped and glowed. There was an increased humming, enough to identify the barista’s satchel as a portable generator connected to her tray, which constructed a fresh cup of coffee. “Here you are! Enjoy!

 

“Thank you,” Cheren said, taking the drink and holding it close. As an afterthought, he grabbed and pocketed his cashcard.

 

“Um… what kinda tea you got?” Bianca asked, peering at the tray as the menu reappeared. 

 

The server dragged her finger across the tray, scrolling down the menu. “Chamomile, leppa, breakfast, chai, matcha, oran....”

 

“Does that say fruit explosion?” Bianca said, pointing at one.

 

“Treat! Your! Self!” Carlotta chanted, Warren picking it up on the second round. “Treat! Your! Self! Treat! Your! Self!” Cheren didn’t remove himself from his coffee, but punched the air in sleepy solidarity.

 

“Okay,” Bianca giggled. “With sugar, please!”

 

“Coming right up,” the server said, gesturing to the payment circle.

 

Bianca’s face fell as she pulled her cashcard out of her pocket, staring at the empty balance. “Oh, right…” she mumbled.

 

“I gotcha,” Carlotta said, sticking her card on the tray. “I’m treatin’ you and you can’t stop me.”

 

“Thank you,” Bianca mumbled, going red. “I’ll pay you back soon as I can, okay?”

 

“It’s coffee, B, don’t worry ‘bout it,” Carlotta said, giving her a one-armed hug and pressing the tea into her hands as soon as it was generated. “Blame my own mornin’ brain for forgettin’ you ain’t won no prize money yet. And while I’m here, I’ll have me a Power Smoothie,” she added. The server smiled, generating a second drink in an unholy orange colour. Carlotta let Bianca go to pick up both the smoothie and the card.

 

“Anything for you?” the server asked, turning to Warren. A small clock in one corner of the tray beeped and flashed. “Oop, choose quick, that’s one minute to sunup right there!”

 

“I’ll have me a chai latte,” Warren said, nodding at the tray and snatching the cashcard off of Carlotta. “Mom gave this to both of us, remember?” Carlotta stuck a bright orange tongue out at him.

 

“Here you go,” the server said, processing the transaction and handing over the resulting drink. “Enjoy the show!”

 

“Show?” Bianca asked. “We’re watchin’ a show?”

 

“Greatest show on earth,” Carlotta said, leaning against the railing and nodding at where the steadily lightening sky was slowly starting to pick out the outlines of tall buildings.  _ Very _ tall buildings.

 

Bianca was distracted by craning her neck back to look up at the highest buildings, so she was completely blindsided by how low the brilliant orange light started. It was the barest slit of sunrise between two buildings that shot across the water, setting a streak the colour of fire across the river, before spilling over some lower buildings, then up, and up, like climbing steps, throwing blocks of light and colour towards them. The city seemed to have been laid out with building heights in mind, shorter buildings rising up to taller ones, then down and up again, like a manmade mountain range. The whole city was painted deep orange as the sun crept up into the sky, the light turning the gently rolling river golden. 

 

“There’s a lotta beautiful places to watch the sunrise from,” Warren mused. “Lotta natural places that are gondamn gorgeous. But I think this is pretty cool in a different way. It’s so damn big, so damn pretty, an’ it’s all built by folks. People  _ did _ that.”

 

“It’s beautiful,” Bianca said, wrapping her hands around her cup, only tearing her eyes away from the honey-coloured buildings when she noticed that the light was starting to roll over her fingers. Carlotta leaned forwards, trailing her free arm over the railing as if to dip it in the river, instead soaking it in the dawn light that made her skin glow.

 

“Worth it,” Cheren mumbled sleepily, fumbling for one of the pokeballs on his belt. “War, can you take a photo of us for me?”

 

“Of—oh, shit, sure!” Warren said, pulling up his photo app as Cheren released Lilli the Petilil, handing his coffee to Carlotta so he could hold the tiny grass-type up in the sunlight. As soon as the sun touched her leaves, she immediately began to trill happily, extending her little limbs and her crest as far as she could to soak up more fresh sunlight. “Step left a little, there’s too much dang glare,” Warren ordered, flapping a hand. “Left, lllleeee… there! Right… Lilli! Hi! Over here!” The little Petilil looked around as her name was called, and Warren took the opportunity to snap a few pictures.

 

“We all oughta get us some snaps long as the light’s good,” Carlotta said, looking around. “’Scuse me, mister?” she called, flagging down a dark-skinned young man who was with two girls who looked like they were probably his sisters. “I’ll take a photo of the three of you if you take some of the four of us!”

 

“You got a deal, girl,” the guy said, fist-bumping her and handing his device over. Carlotta gave Cheren his coffee back so she could start playing photographer. 

 

“I hope that kid likes these,” Warren said, showing the photos to Cheren. “Lilli sure seems to like it!”

 

“Photosynthesis looks like fun,” Cheren yawned, holding up Lilli so she could see too. “We all have our own ways of getting energy.” He tipped his head back, chugging the rest of his coffee in one, and promptly choking on it as Carlotta grabbed him to drag him into photography range.

  
  


_ {Reshin 22nd, 06:12am} _

_ {Castelia City} _

 

Castelia City was a  _ lot. _

 

Bianca openly gaped as she clung to Carlotta’s bag strap, Cheren hanging onto her bag with one hand and Warren with the other. The four of them were making a human chain in the wake of Carlotta ploughing confidently through the streets, which even at such an early hour were thronging with tourists, joggers and early commuters. Every street corner was piled with signs pointing to various tourist attractions--galleries, cinemas, historic buildings, parks, clubs--as well as police stations, hospitals, and their target, the Pokemon Centre. It was visible from blocks away, thanks to the iconic screaming red extending over the bottom three of what transpired to be thirty stories of shops, medical units, and facilities for trainers. Cheren booked them into a four-bed dorm room while Carlotta dragged Warren and Bianca down the counter, scanning QR codes with her C-gear the whole way.

 

“We are here for  _ fun _ ,” she declared firmly, dismissing the digital flyers for several museums before Cheren could see them. “I’m thinkin’ the pier first--check it out!” she gasped, expanding and scrolling down an advert for prize matches on Thumb Pier.

 

“Of course you’re lookin’ at battles first,” Warren muttered, scanning the flyers for the museums Carlotta abandoned. The flyer he picked to expand, though, was a menu. “Casteliacones  _ first _ . We’re early in the day, lines ain’t gonna be long.”

 

“Oooh, yeah! Says right here the line’s only twenty minutes long right now!” Carlotta agreed excitedly. “CHER! HURRY IT UP! CASTELIACONES!”

 

“What’re they?” Bianca asked, peering at the menu.

 

“Best damn ice cream in the world,” Warren explained, “an’ the recipe’s such a big gondamn secret they won’t record it for generatin’, an’ they ONLY tell family ‘bout it, so they can’t make it super fast. The line’s always out the damn door.”

 

“We’ve gone lookin’ for it every time we’ve ever visited Castelia,” Carlotta added, “but we’ve had it, what, twice?”

 

“I’ve only had it once, and we had to wait an hour,” Cheren said, speed-walking directly past them towards the door. “That wait won’t be twenty minutes for long. Let’s move!”

 

Sunlight was creeping down the sides of the skyscrapers by the time they found the Casteliacone Cafe. It was two stories, the upper being a sit-down cafe with “RESERVATIONS ONLY” in multiple languages scrolling along the bottom of the windows, and a stall selling ice cream distantly visible at the back of the lower level behind the winding queue that was already several layers deep. Most of the lower level seemed to consist of the roped-off queue route, with a sign at the front reporting the current wait time to be thirty minutes.

 

“Oh  _ dragons _ ,” Bianca gasped, clutching her chest as the pathway moved under their feet a little after they stepped through the doors. “It’s a movin’ pathway?”

 

“Folks can be waitin’ a long time,” Warren said, nodding to the elderly couple in front of them, who were sitting on folding stools they’d brought. “They don’t want folks messin’ up their legs waitin’, and it stops folks pushin’ too much.”

 

“Alright, since we’re gonna be here a while, quiz me on Burgh,” Carlotta demanded, turning to Cheren.

 

“I’m not a trivia machine,” Cheren said, rolling his eyes before looking from her to Bianca and asking, “alright. One badge. What will his primary team be?”

 

“Any two of Shelmet, Karrablast, Dwebble, or, uhhhh… Whirlipede,” Carlotta counted off on her fingers, “plus his signature Leavanny.” She folded her arms, looking smug about her quick answer.

 

“And your best counters will be…?” Cheren pressed.

 

“Oh, gotta be Paden, with Pijon for backup,” Carlotta said, tapping her fingers along the pokeballs on her belt. “But if he uses the Dwebble, I’m usin’ Thamina. Rock-type’s a bitch. What the hell are you gonna use?”

 

“Poncho for everything save the Leavanny,” Cheren mused. “It’s liable to have a grass attack, but it will definitely have a bug attack that could seriously harm Sherlock, so though it’s risky, Rocky is my best option. Hopefully, his strong defenses will protect him long enough for his high attack to crush the enemy.”

 

“Y’all better win some nice prizes at the pier to sell for potion money if you wanna tough it out,” Warren warned. “Angus an’ I can jump in all you want when you’re trainin’, but not in a gym battle.”

 

Bianca thought over the Pokemon in her mind. _ Bugs, huh? So… _ “You think Tibby could handle ‘em all himself?” she asked. 

 

“Ready for this, Bianca?” Carlotta asked, grinning brilliantly when Bianca drew herself up and nodded. “Cool! Yep, fire’s your friend here, but Penny’s gonna be good backup.”

 

“Mina, too--she knows Gust, right?” Cheren asked. “She might be ready for Air Cutter soon. Dwebble isn’t part of Burgh’s zero-badge lineup, so you won’t have much to worry about…”

 

They whiled away their time in the queue discussing battle strategies, grateful for their early start as the queue behind them began to spill outside the shop, beyond the moving floor and the store’s air conditioning. By the time they got to the counter and bought their cones, the sun was fully up and the air was buzzing with heat, making the chill of the ice cream as welcome as the delicious flavour as they meandered down to Thumb Pier. Bianca kept slowing down to gape at shop windows as they passed, and her friends were more than happy to join in the window-shopping, especially whenever she lingered at a clothing store.

 

“We’re takin’ you clothes shoppin’ soon as you win your first badge an’ land that prize money,” Carlotta promised.

 

“You might like the Elesa line,” Cheren added. “All of their clothing designs are gender-neutral and very colourful.”

 

“Ain’t the Elesa brand real expensive, though?” Warren pointed out.

 

“The higher-end stores, certainly, but they do have a line aimed mostly at teenagers and young adults that’s purposefully kept low-cost,” Cheren said, stifling a yawn in his hand. “I’ve got my eye on a few things myself, if we’re going clothes shopping after Burgh’s gym…”

 

“Maybe we oughta get you a nap instead,” Carlotta laughed. “Early mornin’ catchin’ up to you?”

 

“I’ve run out of ice cream, I have no more sugar to sustain me,” Cheren said, tossing his empty cup into a trash can as they passed. “Let’s get to these prize matches. I think a battle ought to wake me up.”

 

Once upon a time, when Castelia had been much smaller but growing rapidly due to being a bustling cargo port, its many piers had been constantly full of dockhands loading and unloading cargo at all hours, and many had entertained themselves by sneaking off among the huge piles of crates and sacks and barrels and betting on small Pokemon battles. The many crates and barrels sitting stacked around Thumb Pier were likely purely decorative to invoke the historical flavour of the prize matches, as the pier itself was clearly no longer hosting any ship heavier than the handful of small pleasure yachts that were tied up along its length. Several of them were close to the banner-festooned rings of the prize matches, with the yachts’ owners and their friends watching and cheering from the decks of their boats. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, some of us ain’t too good to walk,” Carlotta muttered, giving the yachts a truly ferocious stink-eye. “Right, I see where we sign up!”

 

“It tiers by badges… interesting,” Cheren commented, reading the banners. “Here’s hoping we don’t wind up fighting some Kalosian tourist who’s been a society captain for a decade before coming to try the Unovan challenge…”

 

“Bring it,” Carlotta insisted, straightening her baseball cap and throwing back her shoulders before making a beeline for the sign-up stall. 

 

“Good luck,” Warren said, squeezing Bianca’s arm and giving Cheren a kiss for luck before heading off to find a spot around the ring where he could watch.

  
  


_ {Reshin 22nd, 12:03pm} _

_ {Castelia City} _

 

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Carlotta grumbled as she and Cheren approached the prize stall.

 

“I will, thank you,” Cheren said smugly, brandishing his winner’s ticket. “Excuse me, but would those happen to be evolutionary stones?”

 

“Good eye! We got water, fire and leaf today,” the guy behind the counter said, gesturing to the prize sheet. “Come back tomorrow and we might have different ones, though!”

 

“Guess what!” Warren called, pulling a giddy-looking Bianca by the hand as he ran up to the stand. “Guess who I just watched own her battle!”

 

“Holy shit! Congrats, B!” Carlotta whooped, spotting the winner’s ticket in Bianca’s hand. 

 

“You abandoned us to watch Bianca’s match instead?” Cheren gasped, staggering for a moment, before shrugging. “…Fair. Congratulations, Bianca!”

 

“If I wanna see you two fight, I just gotta ask which is the best Swoobatgirl an’ get outta the line of fire,” Warren pointed out. “Bianca an’ Tiberius gondamn _ nailed _ it. Who won yours, anyway? Ah,” he said, laughing as Carlotta pointed at Cheren with a grumpy expression. “Good job, Cher!”

 

“And I think I’ll take a water stone,” Cheren said, handing over his winner’s ticket. “Poncho needs it to evolve.”

 

“Maybe I oughta go sign up to fight again to get a fire stone for Paden,” Carlotta mumbled, looking covetously at the stones.

 

“Once a day, miss, but you’re welcome to come back tomorrow!” the stallholder said chirpily, handing over a translucent blue stone to Cheren in exchange for his winner’s ticket. “Better luck next time!”

 

“Oh! Is a fire stone what y’all need for Paden?” Bianca said, pointing out the stone on the sign. “You don’t gotta wait! I’ll get it!” 

 

“Hey, hang on! You don’t gotta do that, Bianca,” Carlotta protested. “You oughta get somethin’ _ you _ want!”

 

“I wanna get somethin’ for _ you _ ,” Bianca said, turning red but holding out her winner’s ticket anyway. “Consider it me startin’ to pay y’all back for… everythin’. Or a gift, if that’ll make ya take it, ‘cause it’s real darn rude to turn down a gift…”

 

“Yeah, mom’ll manifest right here an’ now to kick my ass if I do somethin’ that rude,” Carlotta agreed, before squealing and tacklehugging Bianca. “Thank you!”

 

“Y-you’re welcome,” Bianca stuttered, inventing whole new shades of red while the stallkeeper, shaking with the effort not to burst out laughing, exchanged it for a translucent orange stone.

 

“Enjoy your prizes,” he managed, through a heroic effort of customer service professionalism, “and come back soon!”

 

“Let’s find somewhere a little quieter to let ‘em out,” Warren suggested. They headed down the pier, away from the fighting rings, until they found a docking spot that was, while marked as reserved, presently unoccupied, the yacht that should be docked there presumably carrying its occupants off on a daytrip to a nearby island or marina. 

 

“Okay, Poncho,” Cheren said, releasing his Panpour. Despite having moved away from the busiest parts of the pier, the little blue Pokemon looked nervous around so many humans, chittering frantically and starting to hunch down himself, so Warren released Angus. The Audino cooed gently, and Poncho scampered behind him, hiding his head in Angus’ back. 

 

“Here,” Cheren said, crouching low and holding out the stone. Pocho eyed it warily. “I wish I could make him understand how much stronger it’ll make him. He’s still so nervous all the time.”

 

“He’ll evolve when he touches it, right?” Warren pointed out. “Just let ‘im get comfortable enough to—look, he’s gettin’ curious now!”

 

Poncho was indeed edging slowly towards the stone, sniffing at it curiously. He wouldn’t move far from Angus, though, instead leaning out farther and farther until the Audino discreetly started shuffling closer, encouraging Poncho to lean close enough to poke at the stone with a paw.

 

As soon as he touched the stone, change began rushing up his arm. His large paw began to split into fingers, which was bloodless but apparently either painful or frightening, because Poncho shrieked and started waving his arm frantically. His arm grew longer and stronger as he did so, the fringe of blue fur around his neck beginning to grow rapidly, quickly covering his whole torso. His legs and tail grew longer and stronger as the transformation finally reached his other arm and head, where the curly blue hair on the crown of his head shot out long enough to bounce on his shoulders. It took only a few seconds, but the whole time, he shrieked and flailed in distress.

 

“It’s hurtin’ him!” Bianca gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth.

 

“No, it’s not, all the books say evolution isn’t painful,” Cheren assured her. “He’s just frightened because he doesn’t understand what’s happening. He’ll calm down in a moment when he realizes.”

 

Angus was rubbing the whimpering Simipour’s back, cooing quietly to him. “Angus has ‘im,” Carlotta said, releasing Paden. “Hey, Paden, check out Poncho! Ain’t he lookin’ tough now?”

 

Paden looked confused at the sight of the new Simipour until Poncho, who was now more than a foot taller, chittered weakly, sparking a frantic series of shrieks from Paden. “Think they recognize each other?” Bianca asked. 

 

“Sure they do, they can smell each other,” Warren said. Paden was indeed sniffing at Poncho, then chittering rapidly at the bigger Pokemon. “Show ‘im that Fire Stone, Carly!”

 

“Hey, Paden, check it out!” Carlotta said, imitating Cheren’s low crouch and holding out the semi-clear orange stone. “Got one for you, too! Wanna evolve?”

 

Paden looked from the stone to Poncho. The now-bigger Pokemon whimpered something, then chittered a little more loudly. The two chattered back and forth for a minute before Paden closed his eyes and reached for the Fire Stone. 

 

The change spread from the point of contact as it had with Poncho, splitting his thick paw into fingers, causing red fur to spread and grow long, his thin tail suddenly exploding with plumes of curly red fur and a thick white ruff poofing out around his neck. The one plume of flamelike fur on top of his head split into multiple plumes, which were the first things he started patting interrogatively at before slowly opening his eyes.

 

“How come it didn’t look like that when none of the others evolved?” Bianca asked. “Not all… in bits like that?”

 

“The other evolutions you’ve seen are ones that happen as a result of a Pokemon building up sufficient quantities of a unique development hormone not present in humans,” Cheren explained. 

 

“A bunch, actually, dependin’ on the species,” Warren put in. Cheren bowed to gesture Warren forwards to take over the explanation. “Sorry, I’m buttin’ in.”

 

“You’re the one studying to be a Pokemon physician,” Cheren pointed out. “Have at it.”

 

“Anyway, most species have a buncha small developments ‘fore one big one that’s the sorta official transition point, like from bein’ a Pidove to a Tranquill,” Warren explained. “In that case, it’s growin’ the crest that shows maturity, but you notice ‘em steadily gettin’ bigger before that. But some Pokemon evolve ‘cause of gettin’ exposed to certain kindsa radiation. You don’t hafta rub the stone all over their body or anythin’, it’s just contact with a li’l bit flips the body’s response an’ it spreads cell to cell, like… cancer, I guess, except a good thing. It ain’t hurtin’ ‘em, it ain’t makin’ ‘em sick…”

 

“Even though it’s radiation?” Bianca said, eying the stones nervously. 

 

“Don’t do nothin’ to humans,” Warren promised her, “and don’t do nothin’ bad to Pokemon. Don’t do nothin’ to most species, just a few, and I don’t know why it gets the ones it does. Ain’t studied it that deep yet. But see? They’re doin’ fine!”

 

Paden and Poncho were poking at each other’s new fur and longer limbs curiously, while Angus smiled and clapped. “Think we can compete again?” Carlotta said, eying the fighting rings with a grin. 

 

“First, we’re feedin’ those two, ‘cause they need a lot of energy an’ they ain’t gonna feel quite right if we just throw ‘em in a healin’ machine,” Warren said. “Then… we did your thing. Somebody else’s thing next, got it?” 

 

“Hmmm… well, I know this sort of thing isn’t for everybody,” Cheren said, opening up some of the flyers he’d downloaded on his c-gear, “but there is a big art exhibit up in the Castle Gallery. Specifically, the focus is Myths of Unova,” he added, looking at Bianca. “Artwork focusing on various gods and legendary beings. It’s cheap entry for students, and it’s supposed to be quite an impressive exhibit.”

 

“Ooooh, sounds real cool!” Bianca said excitedly. “Y’all up for that?”

 

“If it’s a gallery, it oughta be quieter than the rest of this dang city, which is the part I like,” Warren said, returning Angus. “Carly? You gonna behave yourself?”

 

“Hey, Burgh’s showin’ some stuff there too, right?” she said, returning Paden as Cheren returned Poncho. “Might be able to impress him inta bookin’ us in for matches personally!”

 

“…Sure, why not,” Cheren sighed, clicking the map on the flyer to show them the route. “Let’s keep our eyes out for places we can buy Pokemon food on the way.”

  
  


_ {Reshin 22nd, 12:32pm} _

_ {Castelia City} _

 

The Castle Gallery didn’t look like much from the outside, just another tall construction of steel and glass, but on the inside the lobby was warmly decorated, with wood paneling beneath replica tapestries depicting ancient knights battling alongside and against armour-clad Pokemon. 

 

“Good afternoon! Konnichiwa! Buenos tardes!  Xiàwǔ hǎo ! Guten tag!” the girl behind the desk rattled off in a sing-song tone.

 

“Good afternoon! Four for the exhibition, please,” Cheren said, digging in his pockets as he approached the counter. “We’re high school students.”

 

“Do you have student IDs or trainer cards?” the girl asked. They all handed their trainer cards over. “Thank you! Okay, there’s your total,” she said, gesturing to a payment patch on the counter. As soon as Carlotta paid, a QR code showed up on the counter. “There’s a map of the exhibition, and details about each of the pieces! Please enjoy yourselves!”

 

“Thank you,” Cheren said politely, scanning the code. “I’ll pay you back later,” he promised Carlotta, who just shrugged. 

 

“Thank you very much!” Bianca said, taking off her hat and bobbing a quick curtsy to the clerk on the way past. 

 

The main hall was large, perhaps three stories tall, with angled glass windows high above filling the quiet space with light. The walls were painted in stripes of black and white to contrast with the paintings displayed on them, and the floor was also black and white in large squares, like a chessboard. 

 

“The whole room’s dedicated to Reshiram and Zekrom, shockingly enough,” Cheren said, checking the guidebook he’d downloaded on his c-gear. “The freestanding statues and statuettes—” he gestured to an apparently haphazard set of statues standing out on the floor—”are laid out like chess pieces. They’re all kings, queens or generals associated with the Tao Wars, positioned according to notable traits or strengths of theirs, with the kings being Eduard and Dilwyn, naturally.”

 

“What’re the other rooms?” Bianca asked, glancing around. “This one feels too much like bein’ in church…”

 

“Fair,” Warren allowed. “How ‘bout the Swords of Justice? There a room ‘bout them?”

 

“Of course,” Cheren said, leading the way. “The whole room’s a triptych of Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion, laid out in a representation of the Battle of White Forest, where the White King’s forced ultimately prevailed despite the Swords of Justice inflicting terrible casualties on both sides. Cobalion is in the centre, representing the position King Dilwyn led from, Virizion on the right to represent the way the forest was on his right flank, where the Swords of Justice attacked from, and Terrakion on the left, representing the left flank attack that enveloped King Eduard’s forces...”

 

“Oh, ain’t this one gorgeous,” Bianca cooed, gravitating to a small painting on the end of the Virizion section. 

 

“Nineteenth century… the flowers around the bottom of the picture aren’t painted, they’re real pressed and preserved flowers. That’s why the painting seems so chunky,” Cheren explained.

 

Cheren continued to provide commentary from the guidemap he’d downloaded as they wandered around the paintings. The rooms were mostly laid out aesthetically rather than by artist or time period, arranged around some titanic centrepiece painting or statue at least ten feet tall. Many of the older paintings had climate-controlled protective cases around them, but there were newer pieces too, more than a few by Burgh himself.

 

“Hey, that’s it!” Carlotta said excitedly, pointing out a painting with patches of colour so vivid that they overwhelmed the eyes too much to notice the darkness of the rest of the painting. It looked black at first, but on closer inspection, several areas that were different colours, all so dark that they looked black next to the eye-searing blues, oranges, greens and purples of the bright areas. “Burgh got real famous for that one, ‘fore he was a leader.”

 

“What is it?” Bianca asked, tilting her head and squinting. “What’re all those shapes?”

 

“Well, they’re real abstract, you, uh—I guess you kinda gotta know what they are already to recognize ‘em,” Carlotta said, sticking her hands in her pockets and looking up at the painting. “He’s usually got it hangin’ in a protective case in ‘is gym, so I’ve seen it on TV plenty, just never in person before. It’s these three native weather gods—can’t remember the names, but they’re wind, thunder an’ earthquakes. That one up there, it’s sorta humanoid but also lotsa real thin, sharp strands, like lightnin’, right? And that one’s real big but blurry ‘round all the edges like it’s shakin’, like an earthquake?”

 

“Oh, I get it, that one, all them brush strokes look like the wind!” Bianca said excitedly. “Wow, Carly, you didn’t need the guidebook or nothin’!”

 

“She ain’t an art buff, it’s just this one paintin’,” Warren ribbed his sister, who elbowed him affectionately. 

 

“Even so, your passion for this painting is very evident, young lady. If you don’t mind my saying, it’s very impressive.”

 

“Uh, thanks,” Carlotta said in surprise as they all turned to the patron who was standing a few feet behind them. She was a startlingly tall, striking woman in a ribbon-festooned dress in an eye-searing shade of pink under a black corset. She smiled at them, blinking slowly. Her eyes were odd, almost a little too large for her face, and she must have been wearing some kind of colour contacts that blew up her pupils and grey irises until her eyes were dark from edge to edge. She either had abnormally long legs, too, or more likely was wearing  _ very _ high platform shoes under her floor-brushing pink skirt. “Sorry, was I gettin’ loud there? I get too loud for libraries an’ museums an’ stuff sometimes.”

 

“Not at all, I just happened to be approaching this painting myself in time to hear your description,” she woman said. She spoke Unovan with a trace of an accent, though it was unidentifiable. “To be so interested in Burgh and his work, and this piece specifically… are you trainers?”

 

“Guilty as charged,” Cheren said. “Are you?”

 

“Oh, yes,” the woman said with a smile. “I do enjoy Burgh’s work. He paints in a very modern style, but takes his inspiration from older sources that many modern artists forget, which is why I believe his art has its place amongst the many ancient works here. Young lady who knows this painting so well, I assume you also know why much of the painting is dark and formless?”

 

“Oh, yeah… well, you see them three weather gods?” Carlotta said, looking back up at the painting. “So, there used to be twelve of ‘em, way back when ‘fore colonization. One for each of the Twelve Great Tribes, tha’s a whole thing we’re gonna hafta bring you up to speed on while fixin’ how badly your Taotri school fucked up your history… pardon my Kalosian, ma’am,” she added, a little embarrassed, to the stranger.

 

“Consider it pardoned,” the woman chuckled, covering her mouth with her long sleeves as she laughed. “The historical context is very important.”

 

“Anyways…” Carlotta coughed. “Twelve tribes, each had a different weather god that was  _ theirs. _ ‘Cept then, y’know, the settlers happened, an’ the civil war, an’, uh, a lotta stuff… Anyways, seven of them twelve tribes still exist, but only three of the gods. All the rest of them dark shapes are all them dead gods.”

 

“Their gods… can die?” Bianca whispered in shock. “Didn’t know gods could do that.”

 

“Nah, didn’t figure your folks would be big on that kinda idea,” Warren said, shrugging. “There’s lotsa faiths where gods can or have died, though it don’t always stick. But in this case, it’s a real big deal. Do we even know names of them dead gods?” he asked Cheren. “I think I remember somethin’ about it bein’ a real private thing…”

 

“A few of their names were completely lost when the tribe they were patron of was wiped out,” Cheren explained. “Some of the remaining tribes have also lost a lot of information about their gods, because colonization caused massive cultural disruption, preventing stories and traditions from being passed down. All of them have many epithets, but traditionally their true names were known only by a tribe’s wise man or woman, the only one who would have any direct communication with the god in question, and to this day, the surviving tribes keep whatever they’ve managed to preserve or recover on the subject of these twelve very private.”

 

“Hey, it’s their faith, up to them what they do with it, though I gotta admit to bein’ pretty damn curious about them dead gods,” Carlotta mused. “We about on the money, ma’am?” she asked the stranger, who started clapping.

 

“And they say children today don’t care for the arts or history,” she laughed. “You cannot blame the original peoples of Unova for taking care with their surviving gods. Do you know what it is that killed them?”

 

“Well, the cultural imperialism of—” Cheren began, but the woman held up a hand. 

 

“Not what wiped out people’s knowledge of them,” she clarified. “Do you know what it was that slaughtered the gods themselves in combat?”

 

“Uhhhhh… y’mean, _ literally _ killed ‘em?” Warren asked uncertainly. “’Cause I never heard stories ‘bout that…”

 

“I am sure you have heard stories, but they do tend to warp over time,” the woman said, looking sadly up at the painting. “And of course, people looking from the outside in are always looking for the allegory, the pattern, not the unsettling reality that death is cold and meaningless more often than not, even for gods.” She blinked slowly when she saw their expressions, then bowed her head. “Forgive me. I have a great interest in mythology myself, but my interests do tend towards the macabre.”

 

“They, uh… sure do,” Carlotta said. “Though, damn, I really wanna know more ‘bout whatever it was killin’ gods, now. Must’ve been a hell of a fight.”

 

“Hell is a good descriptor for a true war,” the woman said quietly. “I am going to move on to view the exhibits for Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion. Thank you for allowing me to intrude on your visit for this long.” She bowed formally. “Do enjoy the remainder of your visit.”

 

“Oh! Wait, ma’am, you said you’re real into mythology, right?” Bianca said, digging into her bag and withdrawing the small sculpture she’d purchased in Nuvema. “Do you know much ‘bout this one?”

 

“Ahhh… quite rare for anybody to know of this one,” the woman said, her long fingers ghosting around the figurine without ever quite touching it. “Where did you come by it? Or did you just buy the statue because you find it cute?”

 

“I mean, it is real cute, but, uh… well, I  _ saw _ it,” Bianca said insistently. “I mean it, I saw  _ it! _ That actual Pokemon, real life!”

 

“I believe you, young lady, and I envy your good fortune,” the woman said with a smile. “This one is something of a modern myth, an urban legend, perhaps. Little is known of this one, not even their name. There are only theories, if you are interested.”

 

“Yes, I’m interested!” Bianca said excitedly. “What do you think it is?”

 

“Do you know why Cobalion is the leader of their kin?” the woman asked, holding up three fingers. “Because Cobalion was born first. Then, later, Terrakion joined Cobalion to fight at their side, and later still came Virizion. I see no reason why a fourth could not come along, in due time, when needed, do you?”

 

“Huh… I guess it do kinda look like ‘em,” Warren said thoughtfully. “I mean, same kinda general shape, y’know?”

 

“It’s true that there is a large stagger between myths of Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion first appearing,” Cheren commented. “But adding a new god to old stories would be… weird.”

 

“They are not gods, merely immortal divine warriors,” the woman said, smoothing her skirt. “Let us hope they are simply passing through, rather than massing for battle. Good fortune in your gym challenges, children.” With that, she turned and walked off into the triptych room, a ruffly split in her skirt revealing that, yes, she really was wearing  _ extremely  _ high platform shoes.

 

“See,  _ this _ is why I don’t go to art galleries,” Carlotta said to Cheren once she was out of the room. “Art folks are nice but  _ gon _ damn weird.”

 

“You don’t go to galleries ‘cause they throw you out for bein’ loud,” Warren said, glancing anxiously in the direction the woman had gone in case she’d heard them and then dragging Carlotta away. “Let’s go see them Victini figures, get y’all some luck for fightin’ Burgh, how ‘bout that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everybody! I’ve been home for Christmas and New Year, and it’s been great being home for the first time in two years! Been very relaxing. Stuff’s definitely been getting on top of me, but I think I’ve got some stuff sorted out to get back on track next year. Thank you for your patience!
> 
> Thank you immensely to Llyarden and cjapples of the Nuzlocke Writers’ Forum, who helped beta this chapter! Thanks to the fabulous Key-chan and Isis_The_Sphinx for all of their brainstorming help and all of their inspiration! Special thanks to Incasa and Songwithnosoul for consistently leaving wonderful reviews! And thank you very much to everybody who keeps reading, whether you review, kudos, or just enjoy what I write! I hope you’ve had happy holidays, and I hope 2019 is good to you!
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Dewott, Loyal the Herdier, Paden the Simisear, Pijon the Tranquill, Roland the Boldore, Thamina the Gurdurr
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Wilhelmina the Woobat, Penny the Tranquill
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Servine, Poncho the Simipour, Rocky the Boldore, Lilli the Petilil


	13. Castelia Gym

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren--Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0  
> Carlotta--Pokemon: 7 Deaths: 0  
> Cheren--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 3  
> Bianca--Pokemon: 4 Deaths: 3

_ {Reshin 22nd, 8:43pm} _

_ {Castelia City} _

 

“Too many folks in this city,” Carlotta grumbled. They were finally making their way back to the Pokemon Centre after hours of exploring Castelia City, but even as the sun was just setting, the streets were no less busy. “Scuse me! ‘Scuse—hey!”

 

“Hey, careful!” Bianca gasped as somebody jostled her hard as they rushed past. She would’ve fallen if it weren’t for Carlotta and Warren’s grip on her arms. 

 

“We gotcha, B,” Carlotta promised, glaring at the two in hoodies who’d pushed her as the pair shouldered their way through the complaining foot traffic. 

 

Cheren suddenly started pushing ahead, shouting, “HEY!  _ HEY!” _

 

Warren reached after his boyfriend, sighing, “Leave it, Cher, they’re just—”

 

“THEY TOOK HER BAG!” Cheren shouted, vanishing as he ducked and weaved through the crowd in pursuit.

 

“What? Oh, no!” Bianca gasped, pawing at her shoulders and then looking around at the ground in desperation. Her bright green bag was nowhere to be seen.

 

“MOTHERFUCKERS!” Carlotta bellowed, shoving the crowds aside as she took off in pursuit. 

 

“C’mon,” Warren said, pulling Bianca by the arm to follow in Carlotta’s wake. “’Scuse me, folks, sorry ‘bout her, chasin’ a thief, sorry, sorry, sorry ‘bout this—”

 

Bianca had no idea where they were. She tried to keep track of landmarks, buildings that she recognized near the Pokemon Centre, but it was hard enough just to keep up with Warren and keep track of Carlotta as the angry brunette forged on ahead. She had to hope that Carlotta could keep track of Cheren, and that he, in turn, could keep track of the bag thieves. 

 

_ Everything I got in the world’s in that bag! My clothes, my trainer card, my  _ Pokemon--!

 

They finally started gaining some ground as they headed down a quieter side street, just in time to see Carlotta barrelling through a doorway on the other side. The sign above it stated that the building was a clinic for abused and abandoned Pokemon, and that it was already closed for the day. 

 

“Cher! Carly!” Warren shouted, running through the door. Cheren had already released Sherlock and was facing down a horde of small, low, black-and-brown Pokemon with long jaws full of sharp teeth. Carlotta released Thamina to join him, the hulking Gurdurr immediately wading in without waiting for directions when she saw that two of the enemy Pokemon had clamped down on Sherlock’s long green tail.

 

“Drop the bag now, and I won’t kick your ass once Thamina an’ Sherlock’ve whipped your Sandile!” Carlotta yelled, punching a fist into her palm threateningly. “Thamina, Low Kick!”

 

“I’m callin’ the cops,” Warren gasped, leaning with his hands on his knees for a moment while he caught his breath before dialing on his c-gear. “Hello? Police, please, there’s been a robbery…”

 

As soon as Thamina had beat the brown toothy Pokemon back, Cheren yelled, “Sherlock, Leaf Tornado!”. Now with some space, Sherlock spun, shedding leaves that he flicked up into a whirlwind that shot across the room, sending the Sandile flying and even nicking at the humans in hoodies cowering by the door.

 

One of them curled around Bianca’s bag protectively. “We’re not giving you back these Pokemon so you can abuse them!” she yelled.

 

“I ain’t abusin’ ‘em! They’re my Pokemon!” Bianca gasped, feeling her heart clench. “I love ‘em  _ so much _ …  _ please, _ don’t take ‘em…”

 

“Don’t worry, B, they ain’t gonna,” Carlotta promised, stalking menacingly towards the thieves as Thamina and Sherlock finished off knocking out the struggling enemy Pokemon. “Hammer throw under-18s regional champion, here, folks, hittin’ the nationals next year. I can an’  _ will  _ punch you so hard you’ll shit your own teeth out. So you handin’ that bag over easy, or am I pickin’ it up off the floor after puttin’ you down?”

 

“What do we do?” one of the thieves whispered.

 

The other one looked stricken, tugging at the door marked STAFF ONLY at the back of the room, which didn’t budge. “We can’t give them back! Look what they’ve done to our Sandile!” she whispered. “Are you really going to beat us up to steal these Pokemon?!” she yelled at Carlotta.

 

“We can’t  _ steal _ what isn’t  _ yours _ ,” Cheren pointed out. 

 

“An’ the cops are on their way,” Warren added, looking from Carlotta to the thieves in concern, like he couldn’t decide whether or not to hold her back. “If y’all had anywhere to run, I figure you woulda run there already.”

 

“It’s locked,” the thief holding Bianca’s bag muttered, tugging at the door even harder. “Why is it  _ locked _ ?! Rood  _ said _ \--”

 

“Less  _ muttering _ , more  _ handing _ !” Carlotta yelled, shoving one thief aside and grabbing the slashed strap of Bianca’s bag from the other. 

 

“Carly, WATCH OUT!” Warren yelled as the thief she’d shoved aside pulled a knife out of his pocket, grabbing Carlotta’s shoulder from behind. 

 

“Sherlock, Vine--!” Cheren began, but didn’t get to finish before there was a green blur and the thief with the knife was pinned to the wall by a green, spindly Pokemon nearly as tall as he was. Everybody froze, including Thamina, who had already begun swinging her metal club and was now looking from the club to the skinny green Pokemon with a confused expression. 

 

“What is all this, and why on  _ earth _ is it happening across from my gym?” a voice called as a tall man with wavy brown hair strode into the room. He looked around the room, tapping a long, pale finger against his chin thoughtfully. “Well, well… if I guess correctly, and pay attention to my police scanner, I’d say there’s been a theft, and you’re fighting it out between yourselves instead of waiting on the police. Well, that’s what trainers do. Care to share details, kids?”

 

“Oh! Th-they stole my bag! My Pokemon are inside!” Bianca gasped, since Cheren, Carlotta and Warren just seemed to be gaping. “When we chased ‘em down to get it back, they attacked us! Cheren an’ Carly were just defendin’ us! I just want my Pokemon back…” She wiped angry tears out of her eyes. 

 

“That true, folks?” the man asked, looking around the room.

 

“Y-yessir!” Carlotta said, snapping to attention and even  _ saluting _ . “We  _ told _ ‘em to hand ‘em over, but since they didn’t--”

 

“We won’t return these Pokemon to abusive trainers!” the woman clutching the bag yelled again, not one to let go of a favourite argument even if it  _ did _ also count as a confession to theft.

 

“Abusive trainers? Let’s see…” The man walked over to Sherlock, holding a hand out to the Servine. Sherlock looked to Cheren, who nodded, then allowed the man to run a hand down his back. “Good healthy coat on this one, clearly getting plenty of water. Doesn’t flinch when approached by the hand of a stranger, and even trusts in his trainer’s judgement of strangers. Does that sound like abuse to you? Assuming you’ve had any training. Or did you run into an abuse shelter at random?” He turned to Thamina, who looked warier, but lowered her club when Sherlock chittered something at her. “Hmmm. More guarded, but still capable of bonds of trust. And she’s healthy, from what I know of fighting-types. Afraid I can’t check over all these poor Sandile…” He carefully stepped over one of the unconscious Pokemon with a sigh. “Now,  _ you _ were  _ definitely _ leveraging a knife at this young lady when Lilac and I came in here, and  _ you _ appear to be clutching a bag with a strap that’s been cut, and you’re  _ both _ wearing such tacky but feature-concealing hoodies…”

 

“They’re  _ trainers _ ,” the woman clutching the bag whined. “Pokemon training  _ is _ abuse!”

 

“And you are…?” the man asked, looking over the unconscious Pokemon with a raised eyebrow as he picked his way over to the woman. “Well,  _ I _ am a gym leader, so I’m sure you’ll  _ hate _ me, but more relevant is that if I see any more knives, I  _ do _ have five more of my very best waiting to veritably  _ leap _ into the fray…” He rolled another pokeball over his fingers. “So. Return the young lady’s Pokemon, and I’ll put a good word with the police for you, hmmm?”

 

“...This isn’t right,” the woman mumbled, slumping. “We’re  _ liberating _ Pokemon....”

 

Carlotta yanked the bag out of her hands. “Stealin’,” she corrected, turning back to the gym leader. “Wow,  _ Burgh _ … it’s, uh, a real honour…”

 

“Charmed,” Burgh promised, returning her salute from before with a wink. “Not that I disrespect your passionate defense of your friend, dear, but you really  _ should _ let the police handle this sort of thing once self-defense is out of the way. They wear such lovely stab-resistant jackets, you see.” Carlotta turned red, this time out of embarrassment. “Now, miss, can you just give this a little check to make sure everything’s inside?” he continued, walking over to Bianca and handing her the bag.

 

Bianca unzipped the side pocket with her pokeballs in it first, releasing Tiberius, Wilhelmina and Penny. “You’re okay!” she cried in relief, scooping up Tiberius and peppering his warm snout with kisses, then reaching out an arm to snuggle Mina and pet Penny. The Woobat immediately gave her a big nose-kiss to the cheek, while Tiberius looked around, squeaking in a confused way. Penny tilted her head back and forth, before closing her eyes and cooing happily as Bianca pet her head. 

 

“Better return ‘em, there’s the police,” Warren said warningly as red and blue lights flashed through the window. “That… ain’t a good reaction time…”

 

“It is for this city,” Burgh mused. “It’s those busy streets, you know, awful to get through. It’s why I try to keep an ear out myself for what’s happening in the area. Your friend’s right, you ought to return your Pokemon. Are any of you injured?”

 

“No, sir,” Cheren said, returning Sherlock. Carlotta and Bianca also returned their Pokemon, though Carlotta kept one hand on the arm of the woman she’d grabbed, who couldn’t take her eyes anxiously off of her partner, still pinned to the wall by Burgh’s Pokemon. “You were listening to a police scanner? Is that legal?”

 

“Well, it’s not exactly  _ il _ legal until you commit a crime with it,” Burgh said with a wink as a couple of police officers ran through the door. “Evening, officers!”

  
  


_ {Reshin 22nd, 11:38pm} _

_ {Castelia City} _

 

“Sleep,  _ now _ ,” Cheren ordered as soon as they stepped into their four-bed dorm room. “Just shuck off your shoes and get into bed  _ now _ , fitting in adequate sleep before our battles in the morning is more important than pyjamas.”

 

“Maybe we ought not’ve accepted,” Bianca fretted, twisting her hat in her hands as she sat down on one of the lower bunks and toed her shoes off. “I mean, winnin’ that battle today felt real good, but I don’t know if I’m  _ really _ \--”

 

“You’re ready for your first badge, B,” Carlotta promised, gently but firmly taking Bianca’s hat before the brunette hauled herself up the bunk ladder. She paused at the top long enough to kick her own trainers haphazardly to the floor before hanging both hers and Bianca’s hats off the top of the bunkbed. “Cher’s right. Stop worryin’ and  _ sleep _ . Big day today, big day tomorrow!”

 

Giving their statements had taken time. The officers who’d escorted them and the two thieves to the police station had promised that it would be quick, as the case seemed fairly open-and-shut, until Cheren had recalled one of the thieves mentioning that they’d expected the door to be unlocked on the promise of someone called Rood. That had caused a flurry of activity, a re-taking of statements with emphasis on what they recalled the thieves saying, and an extended amount of time waiting around while the thieves were being interrogated, until Burgh was released from his own interrogation.

 

_ “A Mr Carmine Rood is the manager of that particular abuse shelter, you see, _ ” the leader had explained.  _ “As well as the General Manager of several others… and a member of the Plasma Foundation. Somewhat suspicious if such thieves are in the Plasma Foundation’s employ, ‘rescuing’ abused Pokemon by stealing them from trainers… It would explain the rash of unsolved thefts in the area. Now, you’re all here to challenge my gym, I understand?” _

 

_ “Yes, of course, _ ” Cheren had replied. “ _ When can we book matches?” _

 

_ “Well, usually there’s quite a waiting list, as my gym is the first stop for an awful lot of tourists and locals, _ ” Burgh had said thoughtfully, “ _ but I have some things I can cancel in the morning to fit you in. These two might be responsible for quite a number of bag thefts of late, so I do believe every trainer around here owes you a debt of gratitude if they’re captured because of you. _ ”

 

“ _ Thank you, sir!” _ Carlotta had said excitedly. “ _ We’ll be there the minute your doors open!” _

 

_ “Nine o’clock, then! I shall see you there,” _ Burgh had said with a smile. “ _ And don’t plan anything afterwards. There’s something I’d like to talk to you four about… but only after we battle!” _

 

Despite Cheren’s insistence on sleep, Bianca’s brain was buzzing too much to let her rest. She rolled back and forth restlessly, repeatedly catching herself staring at her bag in the darkness.  _ Tepig, Tranquill, Woobat. I can do it. I got advantages, I got the best shot outta all of us. But it’s too soon--what if I’m not ready? I thought I was ready for the gym in Striation, and… _

 

She curled up at that, the memory of Lilith falling limp on the ground hitting her like a physical blow, tears pricking at her eyes and spilling over as fear turned the image of Lilith’s limp corpse into Penny, into Mina, into Tiberius…

 

By the time Cheren’s alarm went off, she hadn’t had any sleep at all, but all the anxiety thrumming in her veins had her too wired to feel it as they all got up and started digging out hair brushes and clean socks.

  
  


_ {Reshin 23rd, 09:00am} _

_ {Castelia City} _

 

“Hey, Cheren, you know everythin’,” Carlotta said, folding her arms and tipping her head as she looked at what was in front of them. “What the fuck am I lookin’ at?”

 

Burgh’s gym was situated in an art gallery that he owned and operated, and the lobby looked broadly similar to the lobby of the Castle Gallery--though in green and cream instead of black and white--but as soon as they stepped into the gallery proper, they were faced with an odd sight. To their left and right were a sampling of paintings of various bug-type Pokemon on flowers, but directly in front was some kind of yellow, seeping wall.

 

“Errrr… I don’t know,” Cheren said, for once at a loss for words. He poked uncertainly at the wobbling mass of gold. “It smells like honey, but the consistency is… I don’t know what.”

 

“Maybe there’s another door for the gym?” Bianca suggested, sniffing the wall of honey.

 

“Naw, Burgh makes a real big deal ‘bout expectin’ trainers to get a li’l art in ‘em ‘fore havin’ a battle…” Carlotta said, checking her c-gear. “Oh, here it is… other folks sayin’ it ain’t really honey an’ you can walk through it. It’s some kinda performance art piece ‘bout the struggles of bein’ a trainer…”

 

“’How sweet the struggle’,” Cheren groaned, reading a placard on the wall. “Wasn’t that an old song?”

 

“Probably,” Warren said, pushing at the honey wall. “It’s… some kinda gel? Whoa!” he yelped as he abruptly fell through, vanishing on the other side.

 

“Warren!” Carlotta and Cheren yelled at the same time. Carlotta moved first, pushing through the honey and vanishing after her brother. “We’re okay!” she called a moment later, muffled by the honey. “Not even damp! Warren’s right, it’s some kinda weird gel!”

 

“Well, then, let’s go,” Cheren said, bowing and offering to let Bianca go first. 

 

“Okaaaayyyy…” Bianca said uncertainly, pushing into the dripping gold. It felt cold and damp, but didn’t leave her hands wet, and though it was extremely hard to push through at first, suddenly it became so easy that she fell forwards, and would have landed on her face if Carlotta hadn’t caught her.

 

“Gotcha!” Carlotta cheered. “Cheren, c’mon through!”

 

“I’m… here,” Cheren grunted, stumbling and clinging to Warren as his boyfriend caught him. “Right. Now that we’re through that nonsense…”

 

“Sorry to say that it looks like we ain’t,” Carlotta said, gesturing down the corridor ahead of them that was lined with paintings. At the far end, another wall of wobbling gold could be seen. 

 

Cheren cursed under his breath. “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered, straightening up and striding towards the honey.

 

A few minutes and two more honey walls later and they found themselves in a large, airy space that had battlefield markings on the floor but also generous splatterings of paint, clay and silk. Burgh himself had his sleeves rolled up and was intently detailing the shadows on a leaf in the upper corner of an otherwise empty canvas, only looking up with a bright smile when Carlotta whistled.

 

“Ah, you found your way through!” the gym leader said, sliding down the ladder he was standing on and setting his palette and brush on a side bench. “I thought about leaving a note at the front desk, but you know, for travelling trainers, curiosity and the the courage to charge right in are valuable traits, so I decided to leave you to it! Don’t you all smell delightful!”

 

“Sir?” Warren said, raising a hand. “I  _ gotta _ ask… what the sugar honey iced tea?”

 

Burgh sighed. “Alas, nobody appreciates performance art these days. Never mind, I didn’t invite you here to workshop my next exhibition! You’re here for badges!”

 

“We are!” Carlotta said exuberantly. “B, you ready to go first?”

 

“ _ What?! _ M-me?” Bianca said anxiously. “I-I’m not sure--”

 

“You are ready, Bianca,” Cheren assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder, “and the longer you wait, the more you will work yourself up with anxiety. Better to go first and prove to yourself that you can do it--and you  _ can. _ With your team, you have the best chance of the three of us.”

 

“That’s the way!” Burgh said brightly, pressing a button on his c-gear. “One of my students will be here momentarily to referee our grand match! Would you care to share your name and number of badges?”

 

“I…” Bianca looked from Warren to Carlotta to Cheren, all of whom smiled and nodded at her, Cheren patting her shoulder before dropping his hand. “...I’m Bianca D’Artagnan, and this is my… my first badge.”

 

“Very well! First badge team it is!” Burgh said, pulling two pokeballs out of a drawer on his workbench as a young man in a paint-splattered apron appeared and began pulling a sheet over the canvas Burgh had been working on to protect it. “Ah, Rick! Referee, won’t you? Miss D’Artagnan’s here for her first badge!”

 

“Sure,” the young man said, rubbing his eyes sleepily before cracking his shoulders and making his way to the referee box where it was barely visible under a spill of bright blue paint. “Is the Leader ready?”

 

“All present and correct!” Burgh sang, bouncing over to his designated box.

 

“Is the challenger ready?” Rick called, looking at Bianca, who tried not to tremble or stumble as she stepped into her own box.

 

“R-ready!” she squeaked, gripping Tiberius’ pokeball.

 

“The Leader has two Pokemon and may not switch; the challenger may use up to six and switch at any time,” Rick announced. “A Pokemon is out when it is no longer able to battle, and when  _ that _ is is at my discretion. This gym operates a no-kill policy, so any deliberate fatal strikes on the part of either the challenger or the Leader will end the battle and result in a forfeit on the part of the offender, understood?”

 

“Understood!” Burgh called.

 

“R-really?” Bianca said excitedly, her anxiety lifting somewhat. “Sure! I mean, understood!”

 

“Then begin!” Rick called. 

 

“Go, Vinca!” Burgh sang, releasing a squat red-and-green armoured-looking bug. “It’s his first battle, too,” he added with a wink to Bianca.

 

“Okay… go, Tiberius!” Bianca shouted, throwing out her Tepig’s pokeball. “A-and use Flame Charge!”

 

“Ooooohhhh dear… Protect, Vinca!” Burgh commanded. The armoured bug rolled up tight and as Tiberius charged him, wreathed in flames, he bounced off some kind of invisible shield before even hitting the armour.

 

“You’re okay, Bianca! It’s just Protect, remember?” Cheren shouted. 

 

“No intervention from observers!” Rick called, rolling his eyes.

 

_ Just Protect… it don’t work too good if used more’n once, _ Bianca remembered. Cheren had spent the whole walk from the Centre to Burgh’s gallery drilling them on strategies that the Leader was likely to use, and she remembered him going on for a while about the success rate of Protect. She didn’t remember most of that, but she remembered that the more Protect was used, the less it worked. “It’s okay, Tibby! Keep goin’! Use Flame Charge again!” she shouted. 

 

Tiberius rolled back onto his trotters, shook himself off, and charged again, more flames springing up around his body as he barrelled into the enemy again.

 

“Protect again!” Burgh shouted. His Pokemon curled up again, but this time the invisible shield never materialized, and Tiberius hit him like a tiny fireball, slamming him back across the field in his own ball of fire to finally uncurl in a smoking heap at Burgh’s feet.

 

“Unconscious, poor bug,” Burgh sighed. “That can’t have been fun for a first battle…”

 

“Burgh’s Venipede is unable to battle!” Rick called. “Please choose your second Pokemon!”

 

“You got this, B!” Carlotta hooted. 

 

“Well done!” Warren called. “You’re halfway there!”

 

“Good job, Tibby!” Bianca cheered. Tiberius turned around, squeaking and wiggling his snout happily when he saw Bianca clapping and smiling.

 

“Go, Sage!” Burgh called, releasing his second Pokemon. It looked something like the slim green creature he’d had with him the night before, but curled up in a small, green, ball of huff. It frowned and grumbled when it saw Tiberius. “String Shot, Sage!”

 

“Flame Charge, Tibby!” Bianca commanded. Tiberius started to charge, but before he could build up much speed or fire, he was almost drowned in a spray of sticky white string from the grumpy bug sitting in front of Burgh. “C’mon, Tibby! Break out!” Bianca called frantically as the little orange Pokemon desperately flailed, attempting to pull his trotters free. 

 

“Now, Tackle!” Burgh called. Surprisingly fast, Sage rolled up into a green ball and barrelled into Tiberius, somehow avoiding sticking to any of the messy white string that was pinning Tiberius down. Tiberius yelled in pain as he was bowled over on his side, then started squealing in distress as he was unable to get back up again.

 

_ Ohhhh, nooo… nononononono! _ Bianca clasped her hands to her mouth, trying not to panic.  _ He ain’t gettin’ out… what do I do, what do I  _ do _?! _

 

“Bianca! Breathe!” Warren shouted. “You got this! You an’ your team got this!”

 

_ My team… my team!  _ “Ummm… th-the challenger can change Pokemon, right?” Bianca called, waving at Rick.

 

“The challenger is permitted to make substitutions!” Rick called back with a nod.

 

Bianca scrambled for Tiberius’ pokeball. “Return, Tibby!” she called, clicking the button and breathing a sigh of relief as Tiberius vanished from under the string. “Ummm… okay, go, Penny!” she called, throwing out her Tranquill. “Stay up in the air!” she yelled, pointing up.

 

“String Shot! Bring it down, Sage!” Burgh commanded. Sage sprayed string up into the air, but Penny deftly wove and dodged around the shots, staying aloft and untagged. 

 

“Okay, Gust!” Bianca shouted. Penny dove around another String Shot and then flicked her wings forwards, sending a blast of air that bowled Sage back. “Great! Now Quick Attack!” she yelled excitedly.

 

“Razor Leaf!” Burgh shouted, but before Sage could release any attacks, Penny slammed into the bug, sending him rolling backwards again. By the time he got back upright, he looked grumpier than ever, and the leaves he shot out missed by a mile.

 

“Gust!” Bianca called again. Penny flicked her wings, this time producing a strong enough blast of wind to knock Sage into the air. Burgh didn’t wait for Rick to call it, returning his bug before he hit the ground.

 

“The Leader has recalled his Swadloon!” Rick called. “The winner is the challenger, Bianca D’artagnan!”

 

“I won?” Bianca gasped.

 

“YOU WON!” Carlotta yelled, tacklehugging Bianca from behind and swinging her off her feet in a circle. “I knew you could do it, B! You got yourself a badge!”

 

“Congratulations!” Warren laughed. “And congrats to you too, Penny!” he called, waving up at that Tranquill, who was flying in circles around the high ceiling of the room, watching events below curiously. 

 

“Congratulations, Miss D’artagnan!” Burgh said, giving her a big thumbs-up. “Would you like your badge now, or would you like to wait and see how your friends do?”

 

“Oh, I’ll wait! Y’all better win so we can all get our badges together!” Bianca said, pointing a finger at Cheren and clutching at Carlotta’s amazingly solid arms with her other hand. 

 

“You’d better return your Tranquill so the next challenger can step up, Miss D’Artagnan,” Rick called. “Who’s up next?”

 

“Alright, Cher, let’s do this,” Carlotta said, setting Bianca down so the blonde could return her Tranquill and holding out a fist. Cheren sighed, holding out his own fist. “Rock, paper, scissors, one, two, THREE!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to cjapples for beta-reading this chapter!
> 
> Been busy busy busy but I decided to really knuckle down and finish this chapter because I really, REALLY want to write the next one. Originally all three gym battles were gonna be in this chapter, but it started running so long and it’s been so long between chapters anyway… 
> 
> Thanks for your patience!
> 
> Warren  
> Angus the Audino
> 
> Carlotta  
> Owain the Dewott, Loyal the Herdier, Paden the Simisear, Pijon the Tranquill, Roland the Boldore, Thamina the Gurdurr
> 
> Bianca  
> Tiberius the Tepig, Packard the Watchog, Wilhelmina the Woobat, Penny the Tranquill
> 
> Cheren  
> Sherlock the Servine, Poncho the Simipour, Rocky the Boldore, Lilli the Petilil

**Author's Note:**

> A side-benefit of writing this predominantly about a new cast is that, while this fic is part of the Keyleeverse, I’m going to do my best to write it so that it can be read and understood without having read any of the previous fics. Being as these are all-new characters from a wildly different country who know little to nothing about the events of the previous fics, any important plot points or concepts that they need to know will have to be explained to them at some point, so time to see if I can successfully hit the balance between not making it boring for old readers but making it accessible to new readers.


End file.
